


Holding Out For A Hero

by TheGirlInThePinkScarf



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Asshole Dean, Junk, M/M, Sethena - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 16:56:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2659490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlInThePinkScarf/pseuds/TheGirlInThePinkScarf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seth Rollins is set to marry his fiancé, Dean Ambrose, a man that he is not in love with in 10 months. John Cena enters Seth's life and he may be the only person that can save Seth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Holding Out For A Hero

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eric_idle_rules](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eric_idle_rules/gifts).



> This fic is already completed and it's my pride and joy!
> 
> I kept saying that I was going to post this on here, but never got around to it.
> 
> Since it's my friend's birthday, I wanted to post it here for her to enjoy!
> 
> Chapter 1 takes place during the end of August, so it's not counted in the 10 months left until Seth's wedding. 
> 
> This first chapter just introduces the main characters and the main plot. 
> 
> The first chapter is important, but the story doesn't “really” start until the second chapter.
> 
> I made John and Seth a few years closer in age, so there's not such a huge age gap.
> 
> I got the title of this fic and the premise from the Ella Mae Bowen song “Holding Out For A Hero.”
> 
> I hope that all of you who read enjoy this!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is already completed and it's my pride and joy!
> 
> I kept saying that I was going to post this on here, but never got around to it.
> 
> Since it's my friend's birthday, I wanted to post it here for her to enjoy!
> 
> Chapter 1 takes place during the end of August, so it's not counted in the 10 months left until Seth's wedding.
> 
> This first chapter just introduces the main characters and the main plot.
> 
> The first chapter is important, but the story doesn't “really” start until the second chapter.
> 
> I made John and Seth a few years closer in age, so there's not such a huge age gap.
> 
> I got the title of this fic and the premise from the Ella Mae Bowen song “Holding Out For A Hero.”
> 
> I hope that all of you who read enjoy this!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

Seth Rollins or Mr. Rollins as his students call him, is running late. Between the fight with his fiancé and his car not wanting to start on the first try, this isn't his best morning. He's tired and he doesn't even have time to get a cup of coffee. All of the good parking spots are taken, so he has to park in the back parking lot which is further away from his classroom. By the time he gathers his belongings, he realizes that he only has 4 minutes to get to his Algebra I class. He's in such a rush that he's not paying attention to where he's going and he bumps into someone, sending his messenger bag flying. The polite stranger picks up his bag for him.

“Thank you!” Seth expresses his extreme gratitude.

Seth realizes that the unfamiliar man that he collided with is probably the new teacher in the classroom across from his. Normally, Seth would have introduced himself and offered his assistance, but he's just in such a hurry this morning. He looks at his watch when he makes it to his class and he frowns because he is 2 minutes late. He quickly starts up his computer and addresses his students.

“I am so sorry that I am late. I promise that I'll be on time tomorrow,” Seth guarantees.

“I guess we'll give you a break since this is your first time being late,” Kelly, Seth's favorite student, comments.

Seth smiles. “I appreciate it.”

* * *

Despite the rocky start to Seth's day, his first 3 sections go by pretty quickly. He's grateful that it's time for lunch though. He enters the cafeteria and he walks over to sit at his usual table with his closest colleagues. There's Phil, who prefers to be called Punk. Punk is one of the most popular teachers because he's so laid back and he teaches all of the art courses. There's Stephen, a tall, extremely pale ginger with a great physique, who is the P.E. teacher, of course. There's Nattie, short for Natalya and she teaches American History.

“I hope you don't mind that I invited the new guy to sit with us,” Natalya mentions.

“I'm fine with that. I actually ran into him earlier and I practically blew him off because I was running late,” Seth replies.

“He mentioned something about that,” Nattie notifies him.

They start talking about how their days have played out so far and they begin eating. Seth is in the middle of a sentence when he sees the new teacher approaching the table. Now, he knows why Natalya asked him to sit with them. Nattie is obviously attracted to him. He is actually very pleasing to the eye. He has short brown hair, gorgeous baby blue eyes, and bulging muscles. When he smiles, he reveals the cutest dimples.

“I'm John Cena. I teach English I and Creative Writing,” He greets.

“These are my friends Punk and Stephen. You briefly met Seth earlier,” Natalya introduces.

“Wow! You teach English and you have a body like _that_?” Stephen asks with a confused expression.

John laughs. “I get that a lot. I'm very active when I'm not in the classroom.”

“Clearly,” Natalya comments in a flirtatious tone.

“I'm sorry if I appeared rude earlier. I was running really late and―”

John cuts him off. “It's ok. Natalya told me that you're a really nice guy and that you were probably just having an off morning. It happens to the best of us.”

John shoots Seth a dimpled grin and Seth has to try not to blush. Nattie begins flirting with John halfheartedly and Seth wonders if John may have told her that he has a girlfriend or something. Seth tries to follow the group conversation and contribute, but he manages to only focus on John. Seth hasn't felt an attraction to someone in so long that it seems foreign to him. Seth finishes his food and looks at his watch.

“I should start heading back. I'll talk to you guys later,” Seth remarks.

* * *

Seth loves how much quicker his day flies by after lunch. He has 2 more Algebra I sections to teach and then he has a free period to end his day. He normally grades assignments or goes over his lesson plans during this time. Seth notices that there's no noise coming from John's classroom across the hall and he wonders if John has a free period too. He grabs the key to his door and decides to see what John is up to. Seth sees that the door is cracked, but he still knocks before entering.

“So, you do have a free period right now,” Seth confirms as he walks up to John's desk.

“Yeah, I do,” John answers.

“I was just wondering why it was so quiet. I'm not used to it. The teacher who was here before used to take his free periods in the middle of the day,” Seth explains.

“I like being able to wind down at the end of my day,” John says.

“Me too. Well, I'll stop bothering you now,” Seth says awkwardly.

Seth turns to leave and he finds himself blushing again when he looks behind him and sees John showing those damn adorable dimples. Seth packs up his quizzes because he knows that he's not going to grade them until later. His phone vibrates in his pocket and he frowns when he sees that he has a text message from Dean. Seth decides to read it reluctantly. The message says that Dean won't be home until tomorrow morning and Seth actually feels relieved. Seth locks his classroom as he leaves for the day.

* * *

“Fuck!” Seth exclaims because his car won't start.

“Is that any kind of language to use in a _school_ parking lot,” John teases as he walks by.

“This is high school; they use worse language every day. I'm just frustrated with my car right now,” Seth replies.

“What's wrong with it?” John asks in a concerned voice.

“It won't start. I had some trouble with it this morning, but I obviously made it here,” Seth answers.

“Do you need a jump?” John offers.

“Yeah, that might help. Thanks,” Seth comments.

“I'm not parked too far, I'll pull my car up,” John lets him know.

Seth grabs the jumper cables from the trunk and he untangles them as he waits for John to bring his car around. After the cables are connected, John starts his car. After waiting for a few minutes, Seth tries starting his car again and once again it doesn't work. He tries a few more times and his car is still not turning on. Seth removes the jumper cables and thanks John for helping.

“Why don't you call to get your car towed and I'll take you home?” John suggests.

“Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you―”

John cuts him off. “It's fine. I wanted to grab a bite to eat before I go home anyway. Are you hungry?”

“Actually, I am,” Seth states.

John lets Seth take control of the music and he chooses an alternative rock station. John is craving BBQ and he checks with Seth to see if that's ok. Seth nods in agreement. After driving for 10 minutes, John finds the place that caught his eye earlier in the day. When John parks, Seth is surprised when he walks over to his side of the car and opens the door for him.

“Well, aren't you a nice gentleman,” Seth teases in a high pitched voice.

“Well, mama raised me right,” John replies with an exaggerated southern accent.

The restaurant isn't very crowded, so they pick the first table that they see. A waiter is with them almost immediately to hand them their menus and to ask them what they want to drink. Seth and John both want water. Their waiter leaves and they start browsing the menu. Once they know what they want to order, Seth decides to start the conversation.

“So, John, are you new to Illinois or just the school?” Seth is curious.

“I am new to the state. I moved here from a small town in Massachusetts. I actually just visited Chicago for the first time last week,” John reveals.

“I hope that everyone's treating you well so far,” Seth tells him.

“Everyone has been extremely welcoming. I think that I'm going to like it here,” John predicts.

“You're a long way from home, what brings you to a random suburban Chicago town?” Seth wonders.

“I just needed a change in scenery,” John vaguely answers.

Their waiter comes back soon with their glasses of ice water and he takes down their orders quickly. Seth wants a BBQ chicken sandwich and John wants a basket of rib tips with fries. Seth continues to uncover a little more about John's background and he really _likes_ him. Seth doesn't want to talk much about himself and his life, so he deflects and tries to keep John talking.

“How did you get into teaching English and Creative Writing?” Seth inquires.

“English was always my best subject in school. I've always expressed myself through music and loved creative writing. I thought it would be cool to teach it,” John responds.

“I imagine that grading all of the papers can be a pain at times,” Seth surmises.

“The ones that are badly written make me want to claw my eyes out,” John jokes.

Seth laughs and John joins in. It's been such a long time since Seth has genuinely laughed. When their food arrives a few moments later, John immediately starts tearing into his rib tips. Seth is entertained just watching the muscular man devour his food. Seth lets out a small noise of pleasure when he takes a small bite of his sandwich. John smiles at his reaction. After taking a few more bites, Seth gets BBQ sauce on the corner of his mouth.

“You have some sauce by your mouth,” John notifies him.

Seth dabs with his napkin. “Did I get it?”

“Other side,” John directs.

“Now?” Seth questions after wiping the left corner of his mouth.

“No. I'll get it for you,” John volunteers.

Seth expects John to grab a napkin to clean his mouth, so he's surprised when he feels John's bare hand briefly graze him. Seth's body shivers involuntarily from the quick, short touch. John is not left unaffected from their brisk contact either; his thumb tingles after touching the smooth skin of Seth's face. Seth eats slower than he normally does because he's not ready to go home yet.

“I pass by this place every morning and I've never thought to eat here,” Seth admits.

“Well, I love BBQ and it's halfway between the school and my apartment. I also hate to cook,” John explains.

“I cook almost every night, so going out is nice,” Seth comments.

“That must be exhausting,” John guesses.

Seth shrugs. “It is, but I do what I have to.”

John asks for the check while Seth is finishing his meal. Seth isn't paying attention, so he doesn't notice that John takes care of the bill. When he's finally done eating, Seth excuses himself to go to the bathroom. John drinks the rest of his water and waits patiently for Seth to come back to the table. Seth reaches into his pocket and takes out his credit card before he sits down back in his seat.

“I already took care of the bill,” John lets him know.

“You didn't have to do that. I can pay you back―”

John waves him off. “There's no need to pay me back, Seth. Sometimes, people do nice things without expecting anything in return. This is one of those instances.”

“I appreciate it, but you _really_ didn't have to do that,” Seth points out.

“I get the feeling that you don't let people do things for you,” John observes.

“Why do you feel that?” Seth wonders as they walk to John's car.

“Because you're a teacher. Naturally, you put helping others above everything else,” John states.

Seth doesn't have a retort because John is spot on with his theory. Seth always puts others' wants and needs before his own. John has to ask for directions to Seth's house because he hasn't unpacked his GPS yet. Seth's house is only about a 15 minute drive from the restaurant. When John pulls into Seth's driveway, he lets out a low sound of appreciation.

“Wow! I need to become a math teacher so that I can afford a place like this!” John jokes.

“It was a gift from my fiancé's parents. His family is very rich, so they have to overdo everything,” Seth discloses.

“You're engaged?” John questions.

“Yeah. We're getting married in June, a week after the school year ends,” Seth reveals.

“Congratulations,” John tells him.

“Thank you,” Seth softly replies.

“You're welcome. I have some papers to grade so I should get back home,” John changes the subject.

“Ok. Thanks for everything and have a good night, John,” Seth says.

John forces a smile. “You too.”

* * *

John kicks off his shoes and grabs a can of beer from his refrigerator when he gets home. He takes out all of the papers from his work bag and sets them on the coffee table in his living room. He's halfway through editing an essay when his phone rings. He contemplates ignoring it, but when he sees that it's his best friend, he decides to answer.

“Hey Johnny!” Cody greets eagerly.

“Hey Codes,” John greets unenthusiastically.

“What's wrong? Were the kids mean to you?” Cody wants to know.

“No, my students were pretty great. The staff was really amazing too,” John tells him.

Cody pouts. “Then why do you sound so crestfallen?”

“I met a guy, the teacher across the hall from me, actually. His name is Seth and I thought that we had a bit of a connection. But . . . ” John trails off.

“Is he straight?” Cody guesses.

“No, it's even worse. He's engaged,” John answers.

“Oh, I'm so sorry, Johnny,” Cody apologizes.

John sighs. “You know that I'm not a home wrecker, so I have to forget about him.”

“What if his home is already wrecked? I mean you _did_ feel a connection, right? If he was happily engaged, I don't think he would have sent out those vibes,” Cody argues.

“It doesn't matter, Cody. The fact remains that he's engaged. It's not up to me to determine if Seth is happy in his relationship or not,” John counters.

“You're right. It's just after everything that you've gone through, it'd be nice if you could find happiness,” Cody proclaims.

“I know,” John agrees quietly.

“Randy just came in, so I'll talk to you later,” Cody announces.

“Tell him that I said hi. Good night,” John replies.

John hangs up his cell phone and he looks at his pile of papers on the table. He doesn't have any energy to read them, so he just puts them away. He finishes his beer before he walks to his room. He gets in his bed and he thinks about how lonely that he feels; it's been 3 years since his last relationship. He clutches his pillow closely to his chest and he tries not to think about Seth as he eventually falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is my favorite one for a few reasons.
> 
> It's not only my longest fic, but it's also the one that I am the most proud of.
> 
> A few things coming up next chapter: Dean is briefly introduced, John and Dean meet, and there's a little bit of tension between John and Seth.


	2. Month 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter is a different month from 1-10 and I'll mention the name of the month somewhere in each chapter, so you that you know what time of year that it is.
> 
> So, this is the first month and it's not very action packed, but I had fun writing it.
> 
> Just another "I totally write Dean as a dick" warning.
> 
> I forgot to mention last chapter that this fic is not smut heavy at all because I really wanted to focus on the characters and the story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

Luckily, Seth has a backup car that he can drive to work. It's rarely been used and it's expensive, so Seth isn't exactly comfortable driving it. He gets to work early and he goes straight into the teacher's lounge like he normally does. Seth fixes himself a cup of coffee and he notices that John is in the room. John is sitting at the only table in the room enjoying coffee with his breakfast.

“How did you get here this morning? Did your fiancé give you a ride?” John wonders.

“No. I have another car. I don't particularly like it, but it drives,” Seth responds.

“Another expensive gift?” John guesses.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Seth answers.

“I'm really good with cars. If you don't want to take your car to a mechanic, I can see if I can fix it,” John offers.

“You don't have to do that,” Seth tells him.

“It's no trouble, really. Other than working out and writing, fixing cars is one of my favorite hobbies. I can come by this weekend if you're free,” John proposes.

“Saturday afternoon works for me,” Seth decides.

“Sure. I can swing by after I leave the gym,” John replies.

“Thank you, again, John,” Seth genuinely says.

John smiles. “You're welcome.”

* * *

The week passes by quickly and it's already Saturday. John takes a quick shower after his workout and he puts on a sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts. He calls Seth as he's putting his address into his GPS to let him know that he's on his way over. John parks in the driveway and then he rings Seth's doorbell. A frustrated Seth opens the door. John is going to ask what's wrong when Dean suddenly appears behind Seth in the doorway.

“So, you must be _John_?” Dean surmises in a mocking tone.

“Yes,” John answers with narrowed eyes.

“Sorry for your trouble, but we won't be needing your services,” Dean harshly states.

“John, just wait. I need to talk to my fiancé quickly,” Seth tells him.

“Ok,” John replies uneasily.

Seth angrily walks into the kitchen and Dean follows him, he's equally as upset. Dean has a really jealous streak and Seth is tired of it. Seth barely hangs out with his friends outside of work because Dean is so controlling. Dean tries to gently wrap his arms around Seth's waist, but Seth shakes them off. Seth takes a deep breath before he confronts Dean.

“You had no right to be so rude to my friend!” Seth yells.

“I don't like him,” Dean retorts.

“You don't even know him!” Seth points out.

“Why is he being so nice to you, Seth? Guys don't just offer to fix someone's car for free. Did you let him fuck you?” Dean accuses.

Seth looks offended. “Do you honestly think that I would cheat on you? Of course I didn't have sex with him.”

“I bet you want to, though. You came so hard for me last night, was it because you were thinking about _him_?” Dean grills Seth.

“I don't need this shit from you right now, Dean,” Seth side steps the accusation and turns to walk away.

“Tell him to leave,” Dean demands.

“No! It doesn't make sense to go to a mechanic and spend unnecessary money when a friend will do it for no charge,” Seth argues.

Dean rolls his eyes. “Money isn't an issue. Why do you care about that piece of shit car anyway?”

“I care because I've had it since college. It has sentimental value to me,” Seth tries to explain.

Seth doesn't wait for Dean to say anything else. He's tired of arguing and he just wants to get away from Dean right now. He opens the door and he's a little surprised to see John sitting down on one of the chairs on their porch. Seth tries to mask his emotions and smiles at John. He hands John a bottle of water because it's an unseasonably warm September day.

“Sorry that you had to wait out here for so long,” Seth apologizes.

“I can leave if you want. It's quite obvious that your fiancé doesn't want me here,” John mentions.

Seth tenderly grabs his arm. “Please, stay. _I_ want you to.”

John looks at the desperation in Seth's dark eyes and he agrees to stay and look at the car. Seth leads John to the large, immaculate garage where his car is. John wipes away the sweat accumulating on his forehead with his shirt and Seth gets a nice glance at John's impressive abs. Seth tries not to stare, but he fails miserably. Seth composes himself before he opens his mouth to speak.

“How often do you work out?” Seth asks in awe.

“Every day,” John answers.

“Your hard work definitely pays off,” Seth compliments.

“Thanks,” John replies with a smile.

“So, how did you get into cars?” Seth wonders.

“I was always fascinated by them. I really became interested when I started dating a mechanic years ago,” John explains.

“Did you break up?” Seth probes.

John looks uncomfortable. “Um . . . ”

“You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry for being nosy,” Seth apologizes.

“It's ok. It's just not something that I'm ready to talk about,” John states.

Seth nods. “That's completely understandable. Sorry again.”

Seth doesn't want to risk putting his foot back into his mouth, so he decides to silently watch John work. Since Seth's car is a bit old, John volunteers to take a look at just about everything else. Normally, Seth would politely decline John's generous offer. However, he's really enjoying John's company and he doesn't want him to leave yet. John's skin is glistening from perspiration and grease and Seth can't help but admire how hot that he looks. Seth tries to quickly redirect his thoughts.

“Are you sure that you don't want to be paid for your time?” Seth questions.

He smiles softly. “I'm positive, Seth.”

“Is everyone in Massachusetts this nice or is it just you?” Seth jokes.

“I have the small town mentality that I grew up with. I help those in need,” John comments.

“That's amazing. You're really sweet,” Seth tells him.

“I try to be,” John replies.

A few hours pass and John finally has Seth's car in working order. Seth thanks him repeatedly and John tells him to call if he has any more problems with his car. Before John can leave, Seth hugs him to show his gratitude. John pulls away quickly so that he doesn't do anything that he'll regret. During his drive home, all that John can think about is how Seth's body felt so perfectly against his. John knows that if he continues to hang out with Seth, he'll just torture himself. He knows what he needs to do.

* * *

2 Weeks Later

* * *

Seth goes to the teacher's lounge before class and John isn't there _again_. Seth hasn't actually seen much of John since he fixed his car. John even sits alone at lunch. If Seth tries taking to him, he always acts as if he's busy. John has even stopped greeting Seth between classes. Seth isn't sure why John is avoiding him, but he finds himself missing John's presence. Natalya walks into the lounge and Seth thinks that she may have answers.

“Hey Nattie,” Seth greets.

“Hey,” She repeats.

“You and John are kind of close, right?” Seth asks her.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Natalya answers.

Seth bites his lip. “Has he mentioned being mad at me? He's been dodging me and I'm not sure what I did.”

“You should try talking to him,” Nattie hints.

“I've tried that, but he just ignores me,” Seth lets her know.

“Get his attention and tell him that it's urgent,” Natalya advises.

“You know something,” Seth accuses.

“I promised John that I wouldn't say anything,” Nattie informs Seth.

“And you always keep your promises,” Seth mutters.

“You'll understand everything after you talk to him,” Natalya guarantees.

Seth decides that he'll wait until their free period at the end of the day to talk to John. Seth is watching the clock throughout all of his classes and time is passing by extremely slowly. After Seth teaches his final section, he nervously walks over to John's classroom. John is sitting at his desk and he looks surprised to see Seth.

“We need to talk,” Seth firmly states.

“Not now,” John replies.

“I'm free after work. We can go eat and then talk,” Seth proposes.

“Ok,” John reluctantly agrees.

* * *

John and Seth meet at the same BBQ restaurant they ate at a few weeks ago. They find a secluded table in the corner of the restaurant and wait patiently to get served. After a few minutes, a cute blonde waitress takes their order. They order their food with their drinks since they already know what they want to eat. She takes their menus and then she leaves. She's back quickly with their drinks. Seth notices that John looks a bit tense and he's starting to second guess wanting to talk to him.

“Did I do something to piss you off?” Seth blurts out.

“No,” John answers shortly.

“Then what's with the cold shoulder?” Seth demands.

“I don't want to sound corny, but it's not you. It really is _me_ ,” John declares.

“What does that even mean?” Seth questions.

John takes a sip of water. “I like you, but you're engaged. You're off limits, but that doesn't stop me from wishing that you weren't.”

“So you've been evading me because you have feelings for me?” Seth reiterates.

“Yes,” John says.

“I probably like you a _little_ more than I should, but I still want to be your friend,” Seth admits.

“I'm unsure if I can trust myself around you,” John confesses.

“I may not have the best relationship with my fiancé, but I respect it. So you have nothing to worry about. You can't do anything that I won't allow,” Seth assures him.

“Ok, fine,” John gives in.

“I don't want to sound selfish, but I really enjoy your company. I like having you as a part of my life,” Seth adds.

John doesn't get a chance to respond because their waitress comes with their food. Seth observes that John isn't devouring his food like he did last time. In fact, he's hardly touched his food. John eats slowly because he dreads going back to his lonely apartment. Spending time with Seth is nice because he's pleasant company, but at the same time, it hurts to be so close to him.

“There's a bowling alley not too far from here. We should go sometime,” Seth suggests.

“I haven't bowled in a really long time,” John remarks.

“You'll probably still beat me because I'm pretty bad,” Seth comments.

“When I used to play with my friends, we used to make bets,” John shares.

“What kind of bets?” Seth wonders.

“The loser would have to buy food and drinks,” John says.

“I could handle that,” Seth responds.

* * *

Seth asks their waitress to separate the bills, so there's no argument over who will pay this time. John walks Seth to his car and says goodbye. John drives home and after grading half of his stack of papers, he takes a break. He picks up his phone and dials his best friend's number. John hasn't spoken to Cody in a while and he could use Cody's boundless energy and sweet spirit to cheer him up.

“Hey Cody,” John greets.

“Hey Johnny. Is something wrong?” Cody questions.

“How can you tell?” John wonders.

“Because I _know_ you, John, sometimes better than you know yourself,” Cody declares.

“I'm just frustrated,” John lets out.

“Issues with Seth?” Cody correctly guesses.

“I thought that if I avoided him that I could run away from my feelings. I should have known better,” John scolds himself.

“How did Seth react to you evading him?” Cody asks.

“Seth didn't like it. We went to a restaurant together and he told me that he wants to be friends,” John tells him.

Cody pauses. “And you're ok with that?”

“I'm . . . ambivalent. Despite my morals, I still want him,” John explains.

“Just be careful. I know that you have such a big heart and it's one of the things that I love most about you. However, it sometimes gets you hurt,” Cody warns.

“I know, Codes,” John agrees.

“You have to pick a side, too. Are you going to stay his friend or are you going to cross that line?” Cody mentions.

“I have to stay his friend,” John chooses.

“What if he develops feelings for you and decides to make a move?” Cody theorizes.

“Seth is an honorable guy, so I highly doubt that will happen,” John answers.

Cody takes a deep breath. “This won't end well for you, John. I don't see a solution where you end up happy.”

“I love to see Seth smile. If he gets married and he's truly happy, then I can live with that,” John states.

“Sometimes, I think that you're too good of a person. I have to go put on dinner, so I will talk to you later. I love you, John and I really hope that things work out for you,” Cody tells him.

“I love you, too and thanks,” John responds.

John eventually completes grading the rest of the papers in the stack on the table. He grabs 2 beers from his refrigerator before he heads to his room. He turns on the TV and he just wants to watch something that will take his mind off of Seth. His phone vibrates and he has a notification for a new e-mail. John checks and sees that the e-mail is from Seth. He opens it and he sees that it's a coupon for the bowling alley. Seth asks if he wants to go next week. John thinks about it and after deliberating, he replies that he will go. Seth responds back quickly with a smiley face. After finishing his beer, John falls into a peaceful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Seth knows that John has feelings for him and he doesn't care . . . or does he?
> 
> Will John really be able to control himself around Seth?
> 
> I would love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> The next chapter is my favorite of the earlier chapters.
> 
> Here's a little bit of what's coming up: More couples get introduced and John makes a mistake.


	3. Month 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter and it's my favorite one so far.
> 
> I hope that you all enjoy this chapter as well! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

It's mid-October and it's Seth's favorite time of the year. He loves the change in weather and he loves Halloween. After grabbing a cup of coffee and a pumpkin muffin from the teacher's lounge, Seth heads to Punk's classroom. He walks in on a tender moment between Punk and his husband, Jeff. They're painting a picture together and there's clearly love shining in their eyes. Seth knocks on the slightly cracked door and Punk tells him to come in.

“Hey Seth! I haven't seen you in a while,” Jeff says as he hugs Seth.

“It has been too long, Jeff. How are things with the band?” Seth wants to know.

“Well, we're going on tour at the end of the month,” Jeff reveals.

“That's amazing! Congrats!” Seth tells Jeff enthusiastically.

Jeff smiles before kissing Punk. “I'm excited. I'm going to miss the hell out of my husband though.”

“You two are almost disgustingly sweet,” Seth jokes.

“I know,” Punk replies as he kisses Jeff again.

“I want to go out for a drink on Friday with a few of our friends. Do you mind being the designated driver, Punk?” Seth asks.

“I guess not,” Punk answers.

“Thanks! You're the best!” Seth replies before he leaves.

Seth checks his watch and he sees that he still has 15 minutes before his first class starts. He finishes his cup of coffee and heads to his classroom. He places his half-eaten muffin on his desk and he puts his bag and jacket in his chair. John's door is open so Seth knows that he's in his classroom. John is typing on his laptop when Seth approaches. John stops typing and he smiles brightly when he notices Seth's presence.

“Do you have anything planned Friday night?” Seth questions.

“No,” John answers.

“I'm going to my favorite bar with a few friends on Friday. Do you want to come?” Seth invites.

“Yeah, sure,” John responds.

“Good. I can't wait,” Seth tells him with a grin.

* * *

Friday Night

* * *

Seth, John, Punk, Jeff, Stephen, Natayla, and Nattie's friend Beth have just entered the bar. It's pretty packed, so Punk volunteers to find them a table. John asks everyone what they want to drink because he's going to buy the first round of drinks for everyone. Seth accompanies John as he orders all of the drinks so that he can help him carry them to their table. They manage to carry all 7 drinks without spilling them.

“They didn't have Pepsi. They only had Coke, so that's what I got you,” John explains to Punk.

“I hate this place,” Punk complains as he sips the inferior soda.

“Punk is really serious about his love of Pepsi; he has a tattoo of the Pepsi globe,” Seth explains to John.

“Wow. I respect the loyalty,” John comments.

“He's extremely loyal to the things that he loves,” Jeff adds as he kisses Punk passionately.

“On that note, I need another beer,” Stephen announces as he pretends to gag.

Beth rolls her eyes at Stephen. “There's nothing wrong with them expressing their love for each other. I think it's beautiful.”

“I'm pretty sure that Stephen is allergic to commitment. I think he even has a short term lease on his house,” Seth jokes and everyone laughs.

“I'm too young to be tied down. I like playing the field,” Stephen defends.

Stephen orders another beer and leaves with a girl that he meets at the bar. Punk and Jeff have disappeared; Seth bets that they are in the bathroom having a quickie. One of Beth's favorite songs was played a few minutes ago, so she and Nattie are currently on the dance floor. Seth and John are now the only ones left at their table. John is finishing his third Coors Light and Seth is nursing his Jack and Coke.

“Beth is clearly a lesbian, is Natalya?” John wonders as he observes them dancing.

“Nattie is . . . confused. I invited Beth because I was hoping she could help sway Natalya,” Seth reveals.

“She never mentioned anything about liking girls, so I was just curious,” John says.

“I think that she's afraid of what people will think. She was raised in a very conservative family and they probably wouldn't accept her if she came out,” Seth confides.

“That's difficult,” John empathizes.

“So, has anyone here caught your eye?” Seth wonders.

“Just one guy,” John flirts.

Seth flushes. “Oh.”

“You seem so surprised whenever I compliment you. Doesn't your fiancé tell you how amazing that you are?” John wants to know.

“Dean is a man of few words,” Seth retorts.

John reaches for Seth's hand when the song changes. “Let's dance.”

“I'm not much of a dancer,” Seth admits.

“I promise that I won't make fun of you. Come on,” John encourages.

Seth wants to say no, but he can't resist John's expressive baby blue eyes. Seth grabs John's hand and something about the gesture makes Seth feel warm inside. Seth isn't familiar with the song, so he just focuses on the beat. John snakes one of his strong arms around Seth's waist to bring their bodies closer together. Seth's heart starts beating rapidly when John caresses his cheek and tilts his chin up. Their faces are only inches apart and John softly presses his closed lips against Seth's. Once John realizes that he's _almost_ kissing Seth, he abruptly steps back and rushes past Seth. He runs outside and Seth follows after him.

“John, wait!” Seth calls.

“I'm so fucking sorry, Seth! I don't know what came over me,” John frantically apologizes.

“Calm down, it's ok,” Seth placates him.

“What I did was so _not_ ok. I almost lost control and I . . . ” John trails off.

“I'm not mad at you, so you can stop beating yourself up about it,” Seth gently tells him.

“I need to get out of here,” John remarks.

“I can go tell Punk that you're ready to go―”

John cuts him off. “No. I don't want to cut everyone's night short. I'll just walk home.”

“You don't live within walking distance,” Seth points out.

“I'll be fine,” John assures him.

John walks off and Seth is tempted to go after him. Instead, he decides to go back inside. Seth orders one last drink and then he starts searching for Punk and Jeff. He finally finds them in the bathroom. Seth tells them that he's ready to go and that he'll gather everyone else. Stephen is going to get a ride from the girl he flirted with at the bar, so Seth just needs to find Beth and Nattie. Natalya and Beth are dancing together and kissing when Seth locates them. Seth sighs because he hates to interrupt the moment.

“It's time to go,” Seth tells them.

“But I don't want to,” Nattie complains.

“You and Beth can have the whole backseat to yourselves and do whatever you'd like to each other,” Seth bargains.

“Deal,” Beth answers.

* * *

“Where's John?” Punk asks before they leave.

“Not coming,” Seth vaguely replies.

“Ok. So where am I going first?” Punk questions.

“To my house. I'm taking this sexy woman home with me,” Beth responds with a wide smile.

Seth grins when Punk arrives at Beth's place. “You ladies have fun!”

“We most certainly will. Bye,” Natalya says with a wave.

“Bye!” Jeff, Punk, and Seth call.

“It's really about time that they hooked up,” Punk comments as he drives away.

“I know. I just hope that things work out between them,” Seth responds with a sad smile on his face.

“So, are you going to tell us what happened with John?” Jeff wants to know.

“I don't want to talk about it,” Seth whispers.

“You know that I'll kick his ass if he did anything to hurt you,” Punk threatens.

“He didn't hurt me; we just had a misunderstanding,” Seth explains.

* * *

When Seth gets home, he's surprised to find Dean's car in their driveway. Dean is supposed to be away on business. Seth checks his phone and he sees multiple missed calls and messages from his fiancé. Apparently, his trip got delayed by a day. He takes a deep breath because he knows that he's going to get an earful. Seth unlocks the door and he jumps in slight fear when he sees Dean sitting on the couch. Dean has a bottle of whiskey in his hands and he doesn't look very happy. Deans begins yelling before Seth can say anything.

Dean confronts Seth. “You didn't answer any of my calls or messages. It's 2:30 and you're just now getting in; where the fuck have you been?”

“I was just out with a few of my friends. No big deal,” Seth comments.

“Let me guess, John was one of those friends, right?” Dean surmises.

“Dean, it's late and I'm tired. I can't handle this conversation right now,” Seth snaps.

Seth marches upstairs to his room because he just wants to go to sleep. He has a headache and Dean's hollering only exacerbates it. Seth strips down to his boxers and then he gets into bed. He closes his eyes as he tries to find a comfortable position. He hears Dean enter their room and he feels Dean slip into bed beside him, but he doesn't acknowledge him. The _almost_ kiss with John is still weighing heavily on Seth's mind and while he's sleeping deeply, he starts to dream about _actually_ kissing John.

_John snakes one of his strong arms around Seth's waist to bring their bodies closer together. Seth's heart starts beating rapidly when John caresses his cheek and tilts his chin up. Their faces are only inches apart and John softly presses his closed lips against Seth's. Before John can run away, Seth parts his lips for John and wraps his arms around his neck. Not needing any more encouragement, John slips his tongue into Seth's mouth. Both men groan at the sensation and they don't pull away until air becomes necessary._

“ _You're a great kisser, John,” Seth praises._

“ _I can show you all of the other amazing things that my mouth can do,” John whispers huskily._

_Seth moans. “John, I would love that.”_

“ _I can get down on my knees and show you right now on this dance floor,” John boldly states with a lick of his lips._

“ _I dare you,” Seth challenges._

_John smirks before kissing Seth again. John slides one of his hands under Seth's shirt while his mouth starts pleasuring his neck. Of course, John is careful not to leave any marks as he sucks on Seth's neck. Seth leans his head back and bites his lip in ecstasy. John's actions combined with the fact that they're in public is driving Seth wild. John unzips Seth's pants and he's not surprised that Seth is already hard. John strokes Seth's erect cock through his boxers a few times before he falls down to his knees. He tugs down the soft fabric and he's face to face with Seth's dick. He licks a drop of pre-cum from the tip and Seth's loud moan blends in with the music._

“Fuck!” Seth exclaims as he suddenly wakes up from his dream.

Seth is sweating and he immediately notices the wet spot in the front of his underwear. He gets out of bed and practically runs to the bathroom. Once the door is shut, he peels his sticky boxers from his body and tries to collect his thoughts. Seth is aware that he just had a wet dream about John, but he's not sure why. He gets in the shower and certain parts of the dream start coming back to him. Seth turns the water to cold, hoping that it will get rid of his erection.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Seth asks himself.

* * *

Even though it's been a few weeks, Seth can't stop thinking about that night at the bar. Every time that he sees John, memories of that night flood his mind. John can tell that Seth is being distant and he figures that it's his fault. Both men are volunteer chaperones at the Freshman Halloween Dance tonight, so they have to be around each other. John and Seth arrive to the dance at the same time and the tension between them is obvious. Punk, who is also a chaperone notices the awkwardness and he's curious. Punk confronts Seth about it later in the night.

“You never told me what happened between you and John,” Punk mentions.

Seth shrugs. “It wasn't a big deal.”

“Really? So it's just a coincidence that things have been weird between you guys since that night at the bar?” Punk sarcastically points out.

“Things haven't been _that_ weird,” Seth tries to convince Punk.

“Did he make a move on you or something?” Punk guesses.

“Yeah, or something,” Seth admits.

“I knew it!” Punk exclaims.

“How did you know?” Seth wonders.

“It's the way that he looks at you. You'd have to be blind not to see that he cares about you,” Punk remarks.

Something about Punk's words make Seth smile. He sees John standing in a corner as he watches the students dance and Seth sees how lonely that he looks. Seth says goodbye to Punk and he walks over to John. Seth realizes that John needs a friend right now and that he's been selfish by not being there for him. John has his back turned, so Seth taps him on the shoulder to get his attention. John smiles softly at him.

“I'm really sorry,” Seth apologizes.

John raises an eyebrow. “What are you sorry for?”

“I haven't been a good friend to you these last few weeks,” Seth confesses.

“You forgave me for what I did and I'm extremely grateful. I assumed that you needed some separation from me, so I've been trying to give you your space,” John comments.

“I'm having personal issues and that's why I've kept my distance. It's _not_ because of you,” Seth assures him.

“Ok,” John replies, but he's still skeptical.

Seth smiles. “I'm glad that we cleared that up.”

“Me too,” John agrees.

* * *

John and Seth volunteer to stay late and help clean up the gym. The janitor is cleaning other areas of the school, so John and Seth are alone. Seth is picking up all of the plates and cups from under the tables and he can't believe how gross some of the students are. John has already completed his tasks, but he doesn't want to leave until Seth is finished. Seth's back hurts by the time he's done cleaning under the last table, so John has to help him up. John doesn't immediately let go of Seth's hand.

“Sorry. Hand holding is a bit too intimate,” John apologizes.

Seth shakes his head. “No, I . . . like it.”

Although it's not very dark outside, John decides to walk Seth to his car. John asks questions to make sure that Seth's car is still working the way that it should. Seth smiles because John is so nice and caring. Seth thinks back to Punk's earlier comment as he looks at John and he can really see the depth of John's feelings for him. Seth knows that John's feelings are technically _wrong_ , but everything about John just feels right. Before he gets into his car, Seth softly kisses John on the cheek.

“Thank you, John,” Seth tells him.

“What am I being thanked for?” John inquires.

“Everything,” Seth answers.

Seth shoots John one last smile before he drives off. Seth turns his radio on and gets lost in the music instead of his own thoughts. He arrives at his house a little quicker than he wants to. Things with Dean have been more tense lately and it's to the point where Seth just doesn't want to be around his fiancé anymore. When Seth walks into his house, he sees that Dean looks pissed off. Seth sighs because he knows that another argument is coming.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think part of the reason I love this chapter is because it's a step in the right direction for John and Seth.
> 
> There are 8 chapters (plus an epilogue) left though, so of course it's not a smooth sailing road for Seth and John.
> 
> I really like the next chapter a lot too, here's a little bit of what happens: John gets sick and Seth takes care of him, they spend Thanksgiving together and Seth makes a revelation.


	4. Month 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Punk's only in this chapter briefly, but his scene with Seth is one of my favorites. 
> 
> I like this chapter a lot and I hope that you enjoy it too!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

“How stupid do you think that I am?” Dean asks rhetorically.

Seth is exasperated. “What are you talking about?”

“Just admit that you're cheating on me!” Dean yells.

“Dean, I'm not cheating on you,” Seth tells him.

Dean scoffs. “You can at least tell me the truth.”

“I _am_ being honest with you,” Seth says earnestly.

“I hear you moaning _his_ name in your sleep, Seth!” Dean points out angrily.

Seth tries to hide his blush. “They're just dreams, Dean.”

“Wow. You are in such denial. Cheating isn't just physical, you know,” Dean remarks.

“There hasn't been love in our relationship for a long time and I think you just need to blame it on someone,” Seth theorizes.

“I'm not blind, Seth. I know that you don't love me. I thought that I could live with that, but I can't anymore. You have feelings for someone else and . . . ”

Dean can't finish his sentence and Seth is shocked at the emotion that Dean is showing. Dean looks and sounds like he's legitimately hurt. Seth approaches his fiancé and he's not sure what to do. Seth fell out of love with Dean years ago, but he does still care about him. Dean kisses Seth with more passion than normal. Seth can feel his need and desperation. Dean pulls away and he has a smile on his face.

“I love you and I'm going to make you fall in love with me again,” Dean promises.

* * *

After spending the whole weekend bonding with Dean, Seth is ready to go back to work. He fixes himself a strong cup of coffee and he sits down at the table. He notices Natalya sitting across from him and she's smiling down at her phone. Seth hasn't spoken to Nattie much in recent weeks, but he has noticed her blossoming relationship with Beth. After she finishes sending her text message, she waves and grins at Seth.

“So things with Beth are going well?” Seth asks.

“I guess you could say that,” Natalya responds.

“What's wrong?” Seth wants to know.

She sighs. “The sex is absolutely amazing! She's a sex goddess! But I can tell that she wants us to become more.”

“What's wrong with that?” Seth probes.

“Hooking up with chicks is one thing, but a relationship? It just seems so . . . _gay._ I'm not ready to handle that kind of label yet,” Nattie explains.

“Screw labels, Nattie. Just do what makes you happy. You and Beth are good together. I think that you should at least give her a chance,” Seth counsels.

“I know that you're right, but I'm scared,” Natalya professes.

“Don't be. Beth obviously knows that you're struggling with your sexuality and she hasn't left you. Just ask her to be patient and to take things slowly,” Seth continues to advise.

Natalya kisses him on the cheek. “Thanks, Seth.”

“No problem, sweetheart,” Seth tells her.

When Seth goes to his classroom, he's surprised that John isn't there waiting on him. Seth and John have fallen into a bit of a routine. John visits Seth's classroom in the morning before their classes and then Seth goes over to John's during their free period. Seth puts his things down and then he glances at John's classroom. He frowns when he sees a substitute teacher instead of John across the hall. Seth takes a deep breath because his day is going to feel much longer without John around.

* * *

Seth quickly fills his mug with coffee in the lounge and then he walks to Punk's classroom. He had another dream about John last night, but it wasn't a sexual one. Seth doesn't know what to make of his situation and he's hoping that his best friend can help him shed light on his issues. Punk is molding something in clay when Seth lets himself in. Seth pulls up a stool and just silently watches Punk work.

“I can hear you thinking from over here, what's wrong Seth?” Punk asks with concern in his voice.

“What is your definition of cheating?” Seth blurts out.

“Like on an assignment?” Punk wonders.

“No, in a relationship,” Seth clarifies.

Punk puts down his clay. “Uh . . . I guess cheating is doing something with someone else that you wouldn't do in front of your partner. Why?”

“Dean basically accused me of having an emotional affair a few days ago,” Seth reveals.

“How did you respond to that accusation?” Punk wants to know.

“I deflected,” Seth admits.

“So, there's a chance that Dean is right,” Punk points out.

Seth lets out a breath. “I'm just so confused.”

“Do you want my _honest_ opinion?” Punk inquires.

“I don't want it, but I probably need to hear it though,” Seth answers.

“I think that John gives you what Dean doesn't. John's feelings for you are pure and selfless. He cares about you, he listens to what you have to say, he makes you laugh, and he's there when you need him. You want and need to feel special, cherished, and appreciated. I think you turn to John because he satisfies all of those missing things in your relationship with Dean,” Punk hypothesizes.

Seth frowns. “When did my life get so complicated?”

“Apparently, the minute John walked into it. But, I've never seen you happier. He has a positive influence on you,” Punk adds.

Seth has to get to his class, so he says goodbye to Punk and thanks him for his honesty. He has so much to think about and Seth knows that he needs to talk to John. When Seth goes to his classroom and finds it empty, he knows that something is amiss. He looks into John's classroom and he finds the substitute again. Seth starts to feel anxious and worried. He decides that he's going to stop by John's apartment tonight just to make sure that he's ok.

* * *

Seth overhears a few teachers talking about how a lot of students are sick, so Seth assumes that John caught whatever is going around the school. He stops at a small diner to pick up some homemade chicken noodle soup and he gets some medication from a local drug store. Seth knocks softly on John's door and he starts tapping his foot nervously when John doesn't answer immediately. Seth thinks that John might be sleeping, so he turns to leave because he doesn't want to disturb him. Seth doesn't get far before John opens his door.

“Seth?” John greets in a confused tone.

“Wow. You look like shit,” Seth mentions.

“Yeah, well I feel like it too,” John replies.

“I bought you a few things to help you feel better,” Seth tells him as he enters the apartment.

“You didn't have to do that,” John lets him know.

“I know, but I wanted to,” Seth says.

John is freezing despite the fact that he's wearing a sweater, so Seth turns up the heat for him. Seth warms up the soup because he doesn't want John taking medicine on an empty stomach. John is nauseous so he refuses to eat. Seth won't take no for an answer, so he slowly forces spoonfuls of soup into John's mouth. Once John has had enough, Seth gives him a few pills that will help relieve his flu-like symptoms. Seth adjusts John's pillows and tries to make him as comfortable as possible.

“You should try getting some rest,” Seth informs him.

“I don't want to fall asleep while you're here,” John states.

Seth turns off the lights. “I'll be here when you wake up, John. Go to sleep.”

John curls up in his blankets and closes his eyes. Seth flips through the channels listlessly and he final settles on a random movie. He looks over at John's sleeping form and he smiles at the sight; John looks so serene. Seth picks up his phone and he sends Dean a quick text to let him know that he'll be home late. He knows that Dean will want to know why he's not coming straight home. They will probably have yet _another_ argument about all of the time that he spends with John. By the time that the credits roll in the movie, John starts to wake up.

“You stayed,” John points out.

“I told you that I would. How are you feeling?” Seth asks.

“Much better,” John responds.

“Good. Think you can make it to work tomorrow?” Seth wonders.

“Yes, I'll be there,” John answers.

“Good. I've missed you,” Seth whispers.

“I'm pretty sure that I've missed you more,” John counters with a sweet smile.

“I'm really glad that you're ok. I was so worried about you,” Seth tells him.

John caresses Seth's hand. “You really worried about me?”

“Of course. You mean a lot to me, John,” Seth reveals.

“Thanks for taking care of me. I really appreciate it,” John expresses his gratitude.

“You've done so much for me, so it's only fair that I do something nice for you,” Seth reasons.

John yawns. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

“Get some sleep. I should go anyway,” Seth says.

“Ok. I'll see you tomorrow,” John tells him.

“See you tomorrow,” Seth repeats.

* * *

The weeks pass and Thanksgiving break is only a day away. Seth plans on visiting his parents for a few days and then he's going over to Stephen's house Thanksgiving night. He hasn't asked John what his plans are and John hasn't mentioned anything to him. Seth grabs the tests that he needs to grade and he walks over to John's classroom. Seth pulls up a chair and sits across from John at his desk.

“So, are you going to Massachusetts for Thanksgiving?” Seth wants to know.

“No, I'm going to stay here,” John responds.

Seth pouts. “Aren't you going to be all alone?”

“Stephen invited me over, so I won't be lonely,” John informs him.

“I'll see you there,” Seth replies with a smile.

“Is Dean coming too?” John asks.

“No, he'll be in Ohio visiting his parents,” Seth answers.

John is a bit curious as to why Seth won't be in Ohio with Dean, but he chooses not to say anything. Besides, John hasn't seen Dean since their tense, brief encounter when he fixed Seth's car a few months ago. Seth normally deflates whenever Dean is mentioned, so John tries to avoid bringing him up. When their free period is over, John walks Seth to his car like he always does. When Seth drives away, John starts counting the days until he sees him again.

* * *

Stephen is an awful cook, so Nattie and Beth volunteer to do the cooking. John isn't much of a chef either, but he wants to help out. The ladies put Stephen and John on peeling and cutting duty. Punk and Jeff stopped by earlier to drop off a pumpkin pie. Punk and his husband won't be joining them later because they want to make up for lost time. Since the girls are only cooking for 5 people, it only takes a few hours to prepare all of the food.

“I'm starving! Are you sure that we have to wait until Seth gets here to eat?” Stephen whines.

“Yes. He'll be here soon, just relax,” Beth tells him.

“Can't I have just _one_ slice of turkey?” Stephen begs.

“No, because you'll eat the whole thing,” Natalya half jokes.

John isn't a big fan of cold weather, but he loves that it starts to get darker earlier. He excuses himself and he goes outside onto Stephen's balcony. It's dark outside and John enjoys the way that the stars are shining in the sky. There's something very calming and humbling about stargazing. John is so lost in his thoughts that he doesn't notice Seth join him on the balcony. Seth stands next to John and he's in awe at the beautiful November sky.

“I grew up in Iowa and there was nothing to do except look at the stars,” Seth comments.

“It's a truly magnificent sight,” John remarks.

“You look like something's wrong. Are you feeling ok?” Seth checks.

“You're standing beside me, so everything is just fine,” John tells him.

Seth can't help but smile at John's sweet words. Both men are hungry so they go inside so they can eat. Everyone sits in front of the TV to watch football. Everyone is into the game except Stephen. Beth finally hits Stephen with a pillow to get him to shut up and stop criticizing the sport. Natalya is resting on the couch with Beth in between her legs and Seth is happy that they're still together. John grabs another plate of foot after the game goes off and Seth takes him by the hand before he can sit down.

“I want to talk to you,” Seth tells John.

“In private?” John asks.

Seth nods. “Yes.”

“We can go into Stephen's guest room,” John suggests.

* * *

Once they go into the guest room, they both sit on the bed. Seth looks nervous, so John isn't sure if he really wants to hear what Seth is going to tell him. John finishes eating and he turns to Seth, giving him his undivided attention. Seth takes a deep breath and he tries to gather his thoughts. Seth looks into John's pretty blue eyes and he's amazed at how intense and fierce his gaze is. Seth has to turn away because he can already feel the blush start to cover his skin.

“I've only been in 1 serious relationship,” Seth divulges.

“Really?” John questions.

“Yeah. I fooled around when I was younger and that's how I eventually figured things out. I came out after I graduated high school and then I started dating Dean my freshman year in college,” Seth reveals.

“Wow. That's very surprising,” John comments.

“I'm telling you this because despite the fact that I'm 31 years old, I'm very inexperienced with relationships. I'm just so confused right now,” Seth admits.

“Am I confusing you because I have feelings for you?” John wonders.

Seth shakes his head. “No. It's the fact that I reciprocate your feelings . . . ”

“Oh,” John whispers.

“I'm getting married in 7 months and I'm falling for you. I don't know what to do,” Seth says with tears in his eyes.

John wipes Seth's tears. “We'll figure it out, Seth. We have to.”

Seth buries his head into John's chest as he continues to cry. John wraps his strong arms around Seth and he tries to calm him down. John rubs soothing circles into Seth's back and Seth eventually relaxes into his embrace. Seth composes himself completely after a few minutes. John loosens his grip on Seth, although he really doesn't want to let him go. John softly caresses Seth's arm before interlacing their hands together. Seth's skin tingles from John's touch.

“I like it when you touch me, but I'm not supposed to,” Seth reprimands.

“I don't know how, but everything is going to work out in the end,” John predicts.

Seth sighs. “I definitely hope that you're right.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Seth finally admitted that he he has feelings for John. So what happens now?
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I love the growing intimacy between John and Seth.
> 
> The next chapter is very interesting and another favorite of mine.
> 
> John hasn't told Seth much about his past, so he finally reveals that in the next chapter.


	5. Month 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter, it's my favorite one so far and I hope that you will enjoy too!
> 
> There's a little bit of smut in this chapter! ;)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

It’s a snowy day in December and Seth can’t get out of his driveway. He wonders how Dean got to work because there’s a giant pile of snow at the end of the driveway. Seth knows that the job will go by much faster if he gets some help, so he decides to call John. Luckily, John hasn’t left his house yet so he has time to grab a shovel and drive to Seth’s house. Seth smiles graciously as John helps him shovel the snow.

“Thank you so much, John,” Seth says sincerely.

“You’re welcome. Why don’t we just ride to work together this morning?” John proposes.

“That’s probably a good idea. My car doesn’t really like inclement weather,” Seth replies.

It’s a few weeks before Christmas, so of course John is listening to his Christmas playlist. Seth is making fun of him for singing along with the corny songs. Dean thinks about his plans for Winter Break and he’s curious about what John is doing. Some of Dean’s family is flying in to visit for a few days and Seth is a little nervous about meeting them. Despite their lengthy relationship, Seth and Dean’s families haven’t intermingled much. Seth turns to John when they’re at a red light and asks him something that’s been plaguing him.

“Why don’t you talk about your family?” Seth wants to know.

“There’s not really much to talk about,” John retorts.

“You didn’t visit them for Thanksgiving and I feel like you’re not going to see them for Christmas either. Did you have some kind of falling out?” Seth probes.

John shakes his head. “I love my family and we’re close. I just need some separation from them.”

“You know that you can tell me anything, right? If you need to get something off of your chest, I’m here for you,” Seth declares.

“Thanks, Seth,” John tells him.

John and Seth walk to the teacher’s lounge together and they get a couple of curious looks from some of the other teachers. John just shrugs it off and ignores the peering eyes. Seth fixes himself and John a cup of coffee and they sit across from each other at the table. Nattie and Beth are also at the table and they grin as they watch John and Seth interact.

“So, are you guys excited about Secret Santa?” Natalya asks.

“Yes. I’ve never done it before so I think that it will be fun,” John answers.

“I’ve received some great gifts in the past,” Beth adds.

All of the staff is getting together after school so they can find out who they will be buying a gift for. There’s a spending limit and all of the presents have to make it in time for the staff Christmas party. Most of the teachers get along with each other, so they’re all excited for the gift exchange. Everyone is also required to bring some kind of food (bought or homemade) to the party.

* * *

Seth has a heavy present tucked under his arm and a tray of decorated sugar cookies in his hands as he enters the Christmas party. He sets the gift on the table with everyone else’s. Punk, Stephen, Beth, and Natalya are talking with each other and they wave Seth over. Seth joins his group of friends, but he’s not really paying attention to the conversation. Instead, he keeps looking toward the door.

“Relax, fella. He’ll be here soon,” Stephen tells Seth.

Seth blushes at being caught. “Am I that obvious?”

“You haven’t stopped staring at the entrance since you got here,” Punk points out.

After John and a few others arrive, they start eating. The conference room is lit with pretty multi-colored lights and green and red décor everywhere. Most of the teachers finish eating quickly because they want to hurry up and open their gifts. The way that the swap works is simple. Everyone grabs the gift that they bought and they personally give it to their recipient. Beth is happy when she sees her girlfriend walking toward her with a box in her hands.

Nattie laughs. “I’m impressed that we were able to keep our gifts secret.”

“I am too. Merry Christmas, Natalya!” Beth exclaims as she hands Nattie a small box.

Natalya happily opens the box and she squeals in delight at what’s inside! Beth bought her an adorable, custom made collar for her cat. She hugs Beth and thanks her. She then watches anxiously as Beth opens her gift. Beth raises her eyebrow in confusion because the only thing in the box is a receipt. She skims the receipt and sees that it’s from Victoria’s Secret.

“My gift isn’t exactly appropriate, so I didn’t bring it,” Nattie whispers huskily.

“We need to go back to my house _now_!” Beth rushes.

“Not yet, sweetheart. I want to see what our friends got first,” Natalya comments.

Punk is excited because one of the teachers in his department bought him a comic book that he’s wanted for a few months. Stephen is very satisfied with the Ireland flag that he received from one of the music teachers. The gift that John purchased is small enough to fit into his pocket, so he slips it inside before he walks over to Seth. Seth is busy lifting his present off of the floor, so he doesn’t immediately notice John’s presence.

“Hey John. Did you already present your gift?” Seth asks.

“Not yet,” John responds with a knowing smirk.

“It’s such a coincidence that we’re each other’s Secret Santa,” Seth remarks.

“I cheated. I asked around to see who got you and I traded with them,” John admits.

“You really did that?” Seth questions.

“Yeah. It worked out perfectly too because I ended up trading with Nattie,” John reveals.

“That did work out nicely. I went _slightly_ over the spending limit. I hope you like it,” Seth says as he hands John the gift.

John unwraps the gift. “Wow, this is incredible, Seth! I love it.”

“I thought that you could use a little bit of home. When I saw this poster of the Boston Skyline, I was captivated,” Seth adds.

“I exceeded the spending limit a little bit too,” John reveals when he places the small box in Seth’s hands.

Seth opens the box. “You bought me the necklace that I mentioned I wanted. Thank you so much, John. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s beautiful just like its owner,” John responds with a sweet smile.

The necklace is simple; it has a silver “S” pendant with jewels on it. John offers to put it on for Seth. Seth’s long hair is in a tight bun, so John easily clasps the necklace around his neck. After saying goodbye to everyone, John invites Seth back to his apartment. Seth doesn’t have any plans, so he agrees. They order food from John’s favorite Thai restaurant about an hour after arriving at his place. John decides to hang up the framed poster in his living room while they wait for their food to be delivered.

“It looks good,” Seth compliments.

“I agree. It definitely reminds me of home,” John comments in a depressed tone.

“Something happened that makes you not want to go back to Massachusetts,” Seth assumes.

“It’s a long story,” John cautions.

“I have time,” Seth counters.

* * *

“You remember I told you that I dated a mechanic?” John questions as he plays with his food.

“Yes, I remember you telling me that,” Seth recalls.

“His name was Evan. We knew each other since we were kids and we were really good friends. We didn’t officially start our relationship until sometime in college. He was amazing and we loved each other very much. I thought that we were going to get married and spend our lives together. I really wanted that,” John recounts.

“What happened?” Seth is desperate to know.

John takes a deep breath. “It was our anniversary and he was driving home from work in the rain. He got hit by a drunk driver who was speeding. His car collided with a tree and he was killed instantly.”

“Oh my God! I am extremely sorry, John. That’s so awful,” Seth replies in a sad voice.

“It’s been 3 years now and it still hurts pretty badly. It felt like I relived his death every day when I was at home. Every little thing reminded me of him. I couldn’t go anywhere without being reminded of him. I couldn’t move on. Whenever anyone looked at me, they saw how much his loss affected me.

I don’t think they could see past it. I hated all of the sympathetic looks that everyone would send me. I wanted to grieve privately and try to heal my wounds. I knew that I had to get away. Evan was born in St. Louis and he always loved Chicago. We planned on moving here together. So when I decided to leave Massachusetts, I wanted to come here,” John explains.

“Is that why you don’t visit your family? Because it reminds you too much of Evan?” Seth guesses.

John nods. “Yes. They loved him too, so his death was hard on them. It’s just so hard for me to face my parents. Every time I’m around my mom, I see the pain and sympathy in her eyes. I just can’t deal with that. How can I move on if the people around me won’t?”

“Do I remind you of him?’ Seth wants to know.

“No. I know exactly what you’re thinking and I don’t see you as a rebound, substitute, or replacement for Evan. I loved him passionately, but in a completely one of a kind way. My feelings for you are extremely unique, Seth. I tried dating after Evan, but it didn’t work because I was still _in_ love with him at the time. I’ll always love Evan, but he doesn’t take up my whole heart anymore,” John declares.

John and Seth are suddenly sitting very close to each other. John tucks a stray strand of hair behind Seth’s ear and Seth shivers from the brief gesture. John places his hand tenderly on Seth’s cheek and he leans in slowly. Seth knows what’s coming, so he turns his head to the side to avoid the kiss. John’s lips lightly graze the corner of Seth’s mouth and both men close their eyes momentarily at the sensation.

“I should go,” Seth whispers.

John looks toward a window. “It’s practically a blizzard out there, so I’m not letting you leave.”

“Are you suggesting that I stay here?” Seth asks.

“You don’t have a choice. I’ll sleep on the couch and you can have my bed for the night,” John offers.

“No, I’ll sleep on the couch,” Seth states.

“Are you sure?” John checks.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Seth assures him.

After watching TV for a few hours, Seth yawns. John grabs a thick blanket and a few pillows for Seth to sleep on. He turns on the heat because it gets really cold in his living room at night. Seth wants to take a shower before he falls asleep, so John gives him one of his t-shirts to wear. John makes sure to keep his bedroom door slightly ajar just in case Seth needs him for anything throughout the night.

“I know what it’s like to have difficulties sleeping in an unfamiliar place. So, if you get scared of any strange noises or anything, don’t hesitate to wake me up,” John tells him.

Seth laughs. “I don’t scare easily, but thanks. Good night, John.”

“Good night,” John repeats.

* * *

When Seth rolls over in his sleep, a familiar, pleasant scent hits his nose. He sniffs the shirt that he’s wearing and he realizes that it smells just like John. Seth isn’t sure what kind of cologne that John wears, but it’s very fragrant. Seth starts picturing John wearing the shirt and he feels himself growing hard. He sighs because he knows that he won’t be able to go back to sleep unless he handles his erection. It’s 2:30 in the morning and he doesn’t hear John’s TV, so he assumes that he’s sleeping.

Seth is aware that masturbating on John’s couch probably makes him a bad house guest, but he can’t help himself. He pulls his boxers down to his ankles and he groans when his cock is released. He coats his right hand in saliva before he wraps it around his dick. Seth lets out a small pleasurable sound at the feeling. He strokes himself slowly because he really wants to enjoy it. He runs his fingers over a sensitive vein on the underside and he inadvertently lets out an unrestrained moan.

John wakes up instantly when he hears Seth grunting. At first, he’s concerned because he thinks that Seth is in pain. When he listens closely, he recognizes that the breathy sounds are of pleasure. John knows that he should ignore Seth and go back to sleep, but he can’t. John slips his hand into his boxers and of course, he’s already erect. He closes his eyes so that he can focus on listening to Seth.

Seth uses his pre-cum as lube and he starts pumping his fist faster. He halts his movements temporarily when he hears sounds coming from John’s room. Seth contemplates stopping completely because he’s afraid that he’ll get caught. Seth hears the tell-tell noises of skin on skin and he realizes that John is jerking off too. Now, Seth really knows that he shouldn’t listen, but his body has other ideas. He resumes stroking his cock as he enjoys the background noise of John’s low hums of utter bliss.

“Fuck!” Seth mutters quietly.

John and Seth are both too lost in getting off from listening to each other to feel guilty. They create a nice rhythm together; Seth grunts softly while John lets out deep satisfied sounds. Both men are now rubbing themselves unabashedly and getting closer to orgasm. John cries out Seth’s name as he cums and it triggers Seth’s release too. After they catch their breaths and clean themselves up, the guilt starts to settle in. They’re both too tired to deal with the consequences of their actions now.

* * *

Seth wakes up before John and he wants to leave as soon as he gets dressed. He wants to avoid any contact with John, but unfortunately he can’t because John’s car is blocking his in the driveway. Seth decides to watch TV to help pass the time. John crawls out of bed about an hour later. John sits next to Seth on the couch and he takes a deep breath as he tries to figure out how to talk about what happened last night.

“About last night—” John starts.

Seth interrupts him. “I don’t want to talk about it, John. I just want to go home.”

“I know that _we_ crossed a line last night, but I hope that I didn’t ruin our friendship,” John replies in a nervous tone.

“You don’t have to worry about our friendship changing,” Seth reassures him.

“Do you promise?” John checks.

“I promise,” Seth gives him his word.

“Ok, I’ll move my car so that you can leave now,” John says.

“Thank you,” Seth responds.

John wants to make sure that Seth has no problems backing out in the snow. When Seth disappears, John goes back into his apartment. Despite Seth’s comforting words, John is still afraid that he fucked up things with Seth. He’s also curious about the depth of Seth’s feelings for him. John knows that he’s falling too hard and too quickly and that he’ll more than likely end up hurt. He thinks that he should give up on Seth, but a _small_ part of John wants to fight for him. John is just so conflicted and he’s not sure what course of action is right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, things between Seth and John sure heated up this chapter! 
> 
> Coming up next chapter: Cody comes to visit and he gets to meet Seth.


	6. Month 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Cody and he plays such an important role in this chapter.
> 
> Just a head's up, Dean isn't very prominent in the next few chapters, but toward the end of the fic, he's featured more.
> 
> I hope that you all enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

It’s a freezing day in early January and Seth is staring out of window watching the snowflakes fall. He’s wearing a warm, but uncomfortable wool sweater and a pair of shoes that he really hates. Dean’s family members are currently in Seth’s living room sipping tea and talking about something that he couldn’t care less about. Overall, Seth is miserable and he’d rather be anywhere else. He smiles on cue when his fiancé nudges him, but inside he’s so unhappy. Seth feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and he politely excuses himself. He waits until he’s in the privacy of the bathroom before he answers.

“Hey John,” Seth greets.

“Hey! Am I catching you at a bad time?” John wonders.

“No, not at all. What’s up?” Seth asks.

“My best friend, Cody, is going to be staying with me for a few days and he would like to meet you,” John announces.

“Really?” Seth replies.

“Yeah. I’m going to pick him up from the airport soon, would you like to come?” John invites.

“Sure,” Seth answers.

“I’ll be at your house to pick you up in about 15 minutes,” John states.

“Ok, see you then,” Seth responds.

Seth leaves the bathroom and then he walks into the kitchen. He reaches into his refrigerator to grab a bottle of water. He takes a small sip before he closes the door. When Seth turns around, Dean is standing right behind him. Seth is so startled that he almost drops his water. Dean doesn’t say anything, he just grabs Seth by his chin and stares into his eyes.

“Were you talking to John?” Dean wants to know.

“No, it was one of the other teachers in the math department. She wants to get together soon and go over our lesson plans,” Seth lies convincingly.

Dean drops his hands from Seth’s face. “Ok.”

After Dean’s interrogation, Seth texts John and asks him to pick him up a couple of blocks away from his house. John agrees, but he’s a little confused. Seth grabs his messenger bag and courteously says goodbye to Dean and his family. John is just pulling up by the time that Seth makes it to the street he asked him to pick him up from. When Seth gets into his car, he places his bag down and takes off his coat.

John laughs. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“Dean’s family is ultra conservative,” Seth explains.

“I see. And you brought your work bag because . . . ”

“It’s a long story. So, what’s your best friend like?” Seth changes the subject.

“He’s great. He’s a total sweetheart. He can be a little bit hyper too,” John describes.

“I can’t wait to meet him. Maybe he’ll tell me some embarrassing stories about you,” Seth comments with a smirk.

John shakes his head. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

When they make it to the airport, John tells Seth that he can stay in the car if he wants to, but Seth declines. Cody’s plane has already landed, so he’s waiting on his luggage. John goes toward the baggage claim area and he looks at the screens so he can figure out where Cody is. When he finds the plane that came from Boston, he starts scanning the people. Cody looks his way and he starts running toward John. He jumps into John’s arms and plants kisses all over his face. Seth laughs quietly to himself and John just looks embarrassed.

“Johnny! I’ve missed seeing your painfully handsome face!” Cody squeals.

“You know that I’ve missed you too, Codes,” John retorts as he puts Cody back down on his feet.

“You must be Seth,” Cody assumes.

Seth shakes his hand. “Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Cody.”

“Likewise. John never told me that you were so hot! If I didn’t have a Sex God back at home—”

John cuts him off. “Cody, that’s enough.”

“I’m sorry. The filter between what I’m thinking and what comes out of mouth never works,” Cody apologizes.

“It’s ok,” Seth says.

John puts Cody’s suitcase in his trunk. Seth offers to let Cody sit in the front seat, but Cody decides to let Seth have it instead. Cody is starving, so he asks John if they can find someplace to eat. John says yes because he and Seth are pretty hungry as well. John finds a Mexican restaurant that’s close because that’s Cody’s favorite kind of food. They get seated in a booth as soon as they walk in. It’s a circular booth, so John sits in the middle.

“Randy is sorry that he couldn’t make it,” Cody mentions.

“I know that he has a hard time requesting off from work,” John understands.

“He works hard and he makes good money, but I never get to see him anymore. It’s even worse because you’re gone,” Cody sadly comments.

Their waiter comes to take their drink order and to see if they want an appetizer. Cody orders nachos _every_ single time that he goes to a Mexican restaurant and this time is no different. Cody notices that Seth seems a little distracted and he looks a little blue. John picks up on Seth’s mood too and instead of asking him what’s wrong, John just wants to cheer him up. They order their food when their waiter comes back.

“Have you seen the movie Bridesmaids?” John asks Seth.

“Yeah,” Seth simply answers.

“The last time I went out for Mexican with Cody and Randy—”

Cody shrieks. “You are _not_ telling him that story!”

“It was similar to the scene where they got food poisoning. We took a cab home and they shit all over the backseat. We had to roll all of the windows down and it still didn’t get rid of the smell,” John recalls.      

John and Seth start laughing uncontrollably and poor Cody just turns the color of a tomato. When John finally stops guffawing, he smiles because Seth seems to be in a much better mood now. When the nachos come, Cody fills his plate immediately and starts eating ravenously. By the time that John and Seth realize they’re short a plate, their waiter is already gone. They just decide to share the plate. Their hands brush as they reach for a nacho at the same time. The way both men tremble doesn’t go unnoticed by Cody.

“So, how’s your break from school going, Seth?” Cody inquires.

“It’s been ok. I’m just about ready to go back though,” Seth remarks.

“I kind of feel that way, too. I miss my students,” Cody agrees.

“What do you teach?” Seth wants to know.

“I teach kindergarten now. I used to be a Chemistry teacher, though. I really love kids and I wanted to switch,” Cody explains.

“You are a big kid, so kindergarten is perfect for you,” John adds.

Once their entrees arrive, they all silently enjoy their meals. Seth looks at his watch and he’s surprised at how much time has already passed. He feels lucky that Dean bought his flimsy excuse for leaving the house. He eats quickly because he figures if he stays out too much longer that Dean will start to get suspicious. Cody and John seem to be having a good time and he hates that he has to interrupt them.

“Do you mind taking me home when you’re doing eating?” Seth requests.

“Of course I don’t mind,” John responds.

When John asks for their bill, he forgets to have their waiter separate it. John pays the whole bill even though Cody and Seth try to argue with him about it. Once they’re all in the car, John asks where Seth wants to be dropped off. Seth is a bit paranoid, so he doesn’t want to risk Dean seeing John’s car in their driveway. Seth thanks John for the ride and he says goodbye to Cody as he gets out of John’s car. Cody gets in the front seat when Seth leaves and he turns down the music.

“John, you’re so dense,” Cody points out.

John raises an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“You are aware that he lied to his fiancé, right?” Cody remarks.

“How do you know that?” John questions.

“He didn’t want you to drop him off in front of his house. I assume it’s because he doesn’t want to let his fiancé know that he was with you,” Cody theorizes.

“Or maybe you’re just reading into things too much,” John counters.

Cody shrugs. “Maybe. I like him, though. I see why you do too.”

Part of the reason that Cody and John are good friends is because they’re so compatible; Cody can always read John like a book. Cody has a feeling that John is more into Seth than he’s let on. After they make it to John’s apartment, John makes sure that Cody is comfortable before he retreats to his room. John checks his text messages before he goes to bed and he sees an invitation from Seth for him and Cody to go bowling in a few days. John quickly accepts.

* * *

Cody is leaving in 2 days and he’s a little sad. He misses his boyfriend like crazy, but he’s really enjoying his time with John and Seth. Cody is currently sitting down eating on a bench at the bowling alley as he watches Seth and John play one round without him. John is beating Seth by an embarrassing score, but Seth is still laughing and having fun. After getting yet _another_ gutter ball, John decides to intervene.

“Your form is all wrong,” John points out.

“Teach me the right way,” Seth implores.

John stands extremely close behind Seth. “Your grip on the ball is too loose.”

“Ok,” Seth replies as he holds on tighter to the ball.

John places his hand on top of Seth’s. “Don’t loosen it until you’re ready to release. And make sure that you’re bringing your leg straight back.”

“I think I got it,” Seth says as he takes in all of John’s advice.

“Try it,” John encourages him.

John gives Seth some space, but he watches intently as Seth takes his turn. Seth gives John a hug when he makes his first strike of the game. Cody observes the whole exchange with fondness in his eyes. John has to go to the bathroom, so Cody takes his turn for him. Seth takes a break from the game so he can get something to drink. He sits down next to Cody and they wait for John together.

“Do you blush every time that John touches you?” Cody teases.

“No,” Seth replies, but he turns a little red.

“It’s ok. John and I dated a long time ago and he had a similar effect on me,” Cody reveals.

“I can’t picture you guys together. I get the brother vibe from you and John,” Seth gives his opinion.

“Maybe you just don’t want to picture John with anyone,” Cody whispers.

Seth doesn’t say anything back because he sees John walking toward them. The three of them play one more game and of course John wins. Seth doesn’t want to go home, but he knows that he should. He says a quick goodbye and he reluctantly leaves. Cody follows John into his room when they make it back to John’s place. Cody has a lot weighing on his mind and he just needs to get it off of his chest.

“A blind man could see that Seth isn’t happy with his fiancé,” Cody points out.

“We’re not having this discussion,” John dismisses.

“I know what he’s going through,” Cody softly says.

“What?” John asks.

“I was engaged to Ted when I met Randy,” Cody reveals.

“How the hell were you engaged and I didn’t know about it?” John demands.

“I didn’t want you to know, so I hid it from you. I really didn’t want to marry him, though. I was eventually going to tell you about the engagement and marry Ted, but then Randy came along. We fell in love and that changed my whole life,” Cody confesses.

“Why are you telling me this right now?” John questions.

“You know why. I had my reasons for staying with Ted and I’m sure Seth has his reasons for staying in his relationship. He’s going to continue to sacrifice his own happiness if he doesn’t find a good enough reason to leave,” Cody speaks from experience.

“I know what you’re getting at Cody. I can’t do that,” John argues.

“I’ve seen you and Seth together and you’re good for each other. I know that you aren’t heavy into religion, but I don’t think that God would have you come this close to contentment for no reason,” Cody states.

“Codes, you’re not going to change my mind,” John lets him know.

“I think that you’re scared. Seth is the first person that you’ve fallen for since Evan and you’re afraid of getting hurt. You’re using the fact that he’s engaged as a crutch. You don’t give a damn about Seth’s fiancé and I know you think that Seth deserves better. I think fear is what’s stopping you from _really_ pursuing him. Sure, you’ve told him that you have feelings for him and you’ve tried to kiss him a few times, but you won’t tell him to leave his fiancé.

He’s getting married in just 5 more months, so time is running out. You’ve already wasted 5 months, so it’s time that you take action. If you don’t take action, then just stop teasing yourself. Either tell him that you want him or move on, John. But your passive aggressive and conflicted behavior is only going to hurt you in the long run. You have to do something because—”

John angrily cuts him off. “Get out!”

“ _What_?” Cody is caught off guard.

“I’ll call you a cab and give you money for a hotel, but I want you out of my damn apartment,” John yells.

True to his word, John calls Cody a cab and gives him money to stay at a nearby hotel. Cody looks sad and apologetic on his way out. John feels _slight_ remorse for kicking Cody out, but the larger part of him feels justified. How dare Cody talk to him that way! John grabs a beer and tries to calm himself down. John and Cody don’t argue often, but when they do, it’s always a large falling out between them. John hates having fights with Cody, but Cody brought this one on himself. He finishes his beer and he watches TV because he knows that he’s not going to sleep well.

* * *

John wakes up to the sound of someone pounding on his door. He assumes that it’s probably Cody coming to apologize. He checks his phone and John is surprised that it’s already 12:30 in the afternoon. John checks his text messages as he walks to the door and he sees that Cody sent him one. He ignores the message and opens the door because the loud banging is giving him a headache. John is shocked to see a pissed off Seth at his door.

Seth pushes past him. “What did you do to Cody? Why did he call me from a hotel and tell me that he’s trying to see if he can get a flight to leave tonight?”

“It’s a long story that’s between me and Cody, so I don’t know why he got you involved,” John retorts.

“He was calling to say goodbye and I was concerned because I knew that he wasn’t supposed to leave until tomorrow,” Seth explains.

“We just got into an argument, best friends do that,” John replies.

Seth takes a deep breath. “You won’t go back to Massachusetts to see Cody or your family. Cody took time out of his schedule and he spent a lot of money to come visit you, John. I’m sure whatever you guys argued about wasn’t worth kicking him out.”

“We got into a fight about you,” John informs Seth.

“Me? What about me?” Seth wonders.

John starts pacing as everything that Cody said last night starts running through his mind. He tries to figure out how to answer Seth’s question, but he can’t find the right words. John walks toward Seth and Seth backs up until he hits the wall behind him. John traps him with his body and both men’s hearts are beating wildly at the close proximity. John leans forward and this time, Seth doesn’t stop him. John captures Seth’s lips in an ardent kiss. Seth has never experienced a kiss like this in his life. The kiss touches Seth’s heart and penetrates his soul; it’s passionate and his whole body is on fire. John pulls away when his lungs start to burn from lack of oxygen.

“I would apologize for that, but I’m not sorry,” John bluntly declares.

Seth shocks John and himself when he pulls John’s body back against his. He wraps his arms around John’s neck and initiates another kiss. John closes his eyes and just relishes in the perfection that is Seth’s mouth. Seth breaks the kiss, but he doesn’t separate himself from John. They’re both panting and their foreheads are resting against each other’s. Neither man moves for what feels like hours.

“You should call Cody and make up with him,” Seth advises.

John caresses Seth’s cheek. “Is that all that you’re going to comment on?”

“Uh huh,” Seth responds as he gazes into John’s eyes.

“So you’re not going to freak out on me?” John verifies.

Seth shakes his head. “No.”

“You promise?” John checks.

“I promise,” Seth repeats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So . . . they finally kissed! It only took 5 months, LOL.
> 
> I know that the build up is slow, but hopefully the kiss satisfied a little bit.
> 
> John and Cody do make up, but I couldn't find a way to add that to this chapter.
> 
> Here's what's coming up: John and Seth go on a date for Valentine's Day. John and Seth finally talk about Seth's forthcoming marriage.


	7. Month 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for this chapter because it's my shortest one and my least favorite.
> 
> It's more of a filler chapter until I could get to Chapter 8.
> 
> Hopefully, you still enjoy this chapter though! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

It’s Valentine’s Day and Seth doesn’t have any plans for the first time in years. Dean is out of town on business, so they’re not doing their usual routine of dinner and a movie. When Seth enters his classroom he sees a chocolate cupcake on his desk. It has a pink conversation heart in the middle that says “Be Mine” on it. Seth smiles because he knows exactly who the cupcake is from. Seth checks his watch and he still has a few more minutes before his students start coming in. He makes the short walk over to John’s classroom.

“Thanks for the cupcake,” Seth tells him.

“You’re welcome,” John replies.

“So, do you have any plans tonight?” Seth wonders.

“That depends,” John answers.

“On what?” Seth asks.

“If you’ll join me for dinner or not,” John responds.

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Seth accepts the invitation.

“I will pick up at 7:00 then,” John lets him know.

“Ok,” Seth says.

* * *

John is punctual and he’s ringing Seth’s doorbell at exactly 7:00. When Seth answers his door, he grins when he sees that there’s a rose in John’s hand. He thanks him and Seth finds a place to put it before he leaves. Seth doesn’t ask where they’re going, so he’s surprised when they pull up to a fancy looking Italian restaurant. John opens Seth’s door for him as usual and he takes his hand as they walk into the restaurant.

“Wow! This place is beautiful, it looks expensive,” Seth comments.

“I like to splurge every once in a while,” John states.

“How’d you get a reservation here so last minute?” Seth questions.

“Nattie knows someone who knows someone,” John explains.

John requests the table in the corner of the restaurant that’s near the fireplace. Seth is in awe at how gorgeous everything is. Seth usually tries to avoid places like this and always asks Dean to take him to normal restaurants. John and Seth take off their coats because the fireplace is doing a great job of warming them up. A waiter is with them quickly and takes their drink orders. John notices Seth eyeing the wine menu.

“You can have a glass of wine if you want,” John encourages him.

“Ok. I’ll have a glass of Pinot Grigio,” Seth decides.

“Don’t hold back tonight, get whatever you want,” John remarks after their waiter leaves.

Seth really can’t believe how John always treats him so amazingly. He does so many great things for Seth and he never wants anything back. It’s such a shame that Seth couldn’t have met John before his engagement. Seth’s thoughts are interrupted when the waiter comes back. John and Seth order their entrees and Seth enjoy his glass of wine. John is quieter than he is ordinarily and Seth is curious.

“Is there something on your mind?” Seth inquires.

“I just noticed your engagement ring for the first time,” John observes.

Seth looks down at it. “It had to be resized a few times and then Dean changed the design of it, so I was without it for a while.”

“It’s lovely,” John comments.

“It’s a little gaudy for my taste,” Seth admits.

“I guess it does look fit for Royalty or something,” John agrees.

“I’m pretty sure this ring costs more than my car,” Seth guesses.

John laughs. “I’m sure it is, your car is pretty ancient.”

“Hey, I have some wonderful memories with my car,” Seth defends.

John continues to make fun of Seth’s car until their food arrives. Seth feels his phone vibrate, but he ignores it. He has a feeling that it’s Dean calling, but he just doesn’t want to talk to him. John orders tiramisu for them to share and it’s the best that Seth has ever had. After John pays the costly check, he leaves the restaurant with Seth. John assumes that Seth wants to go home, but he asks just to be sure.

“Do you want me to take you back to your house?” John questions.

“No, I want to go back to your place,” Seth answers.

* * *

There’s nothing on TV but cheesy romance movies. Seth pretends like he’s not paying attention to A Walk to Remember, but he’s actually really into the movie. Seth is comfortably resting his head on John’s broad chest and John’s strong arms are wrapped around his body. John radiates heat and Seth loves it because he feels much warmer now. Seth starts to tune out the movie as he gets lost in his thoughts.

“I don’t love him,” Seth suddenly blurts out.

“Who?” John asks as he nuzzles Seth’s neck.

“Dean. I haven’t loved him for the last few years of our relationship,” Seth reveals.

“Really?” John responds.

“I care about him, but I just fell out of love,” Seth adds.

John sighs. “You’re not going to tell me _why_ you’re marrying him, are you?”

“No, because it won’t change anything. Just know that I _have_ to do it,” Seth answers.

“Are you getting blackmailed or something?” John wonders.

“No, I’m not being held captive or anything like that either,” Seth says.

“I thought that the hardest thing for me to deal with was spending time with you and then having to send you back to your fiancé. But seeing you stay with a man that you don’t want to be with is even more difficult,” John mentions.

“I am marrying him for a good reason, John,” Seth argues.

“You deserve to love and be loved. I believe you feel justified in your reasons for marriage, but I beg to differ,” John retorts.

“I just ask that you trust my judgment,” Seth begs.

“You are a self-sacrificing man, so I can’t trust you to make the best decisions for _you_. If you’re miserable in your relationship, how is that a good thing?” John wants to know.

“I’ll be happier once Dean and I get married,” Seth guarantees.

“For your sake, I really hope that’s true,” John remarks.

Seth doesn’t want to talk about his marriage to Dean anymore. John really doesn’t want to talk about it anymore either, so they just enjoy a few minutes of silence. John wraps his arms a little bit tighter around Seth’s body. Seth relaxes, almost involuntarily, into John’s tender embrace. Seth is getting married in just 4 short months, yet he’s in bed with another man. He does feel remorse, but Seth also feels complete when he’s with John.

“If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?” Seth sings.

“All that I am, all that I ever was, is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see,” John sings back.

“I wish things were different for us,” Seth whispers brokenly.

“So do I,” John replies with a tear in his eye. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that they sing is “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol and it's definitely a favorite of mine.
> 
> I feel like at this point, John and Seth have taken 1 step forward and 2 steps back and that they've hit a bit of a road block.
> 
> Here's what's coming up: John goes with Seth to a cake tasting, Kaitlyn and AJ get introduced, and Dean and John have a major confrontation.


	8. Month 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the most fun chapter for me to write and I really love it!
> 
> Kaitlyn and AJ were so much fun to add in (despite me hating AJ now, LOL), they make another appearance later in the fic too.
> 
> So, Dean is more prominent in this chapter and you guessed it . . . he's an asshole! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

Most teachers look forward to Spring Break. It’s a week off from school and it’s normally a perfect time to relax and have fun. Seth is extremely stressed because during his break, he has to start finalizing plans for his wedding. Dean initially offered to hire a planner, but Seth told him not to. Seth is regretting that decision a little, but he won’t tell Dean that. Seth is currently making out invitations when his fiancé walks into the room.

“You’re just now doing the invitations?” Dean complains.

“I wasn’t completely sure who I was going to invite,” Seth explains.

Dean looks through the envelopes. “I don’t see one for John.”

“I haven’t gotten to him yet, but why do you care?” Seth asks.

“Honestly? I just want to rub it in his face that you belong to me,” Dean replies with a smirk.

“I’m not a possession, Dean. And it’s nice to know that you have the maturity of a child,” Seth snaps.

Dean laughs. “Get your boxers out of a twist, Seth.”

“I’ll work a lot faster without you around, so do you mind leaving?” Seth requests.

“Ok. Just don’t forget to give John that invitation though,” Dean responds petulantly.

* * *

John and Seth are still spending a lot of their free time together even though the wedding is quickly approaching. They are walking around the mall with no particular destination in mind. John sees a sports memorabilia store and he wants to stop in. He doubts that they’ll have any merchandise for any Boston sports team, but he still wants to browse the selection. Seth’s phone rings so he excuses himself. John is drooling over the one Red Sox jersey in the store when Seth comes back and taps him on the shoulder.

“I have a huge favor to ask you,” Seth tells him.

“What is it?” John wants to know.

“I need to go to the bakery so I can pick out what kind of cake that I want for the wedding. I would love it if you went with me,” Seth replies.

“Isn’t that like the job of the groom or the best man?” John questions.

“Yes, but Dean is at work and I don’t have a best man,” Seth explains.

“Why don’t you have one?” John inquires.

“To make a long story short, Dean doesn’t really like any of my friends,” Seth summarizes.

“If you really want me to go with you, I’ll do it,” John gives in.

“Thank you! I owe you one,” Seth says.

“So, where’s the bakery?” John asks.

* * *

Kaitlyn is one of the owners of Diva’s Bakery and she has two-toned hair like Seth, although hers looks a little bit trashier than Seth’s. She has talked with Seth a few times over the phone, so she already has some ideas about what he might be looking for. Seth and John enter her bakery a few minutes before their appointment time and she tells them to sit down and get comfortable. They have the whole place to themselves for the next hour and a half.

“I recognize your voice from the phone. So, you must be the groom,” Kaitlyn assumes as she turns to John.

“No, I’m just a close friend,” John corrects her.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” She apologizes.

“It’s ok,” Seth responds.

“I have close to 10 choices picked out for you. I have a lot more in the back in case none of these selections work for you,” Kaitlyn explains.

“I skipped breakfast, so I’m ready to start tasting!” Seth exclaims.

“AJ, dear, can you bring out the chocolate almond cake with the mocha buttercream icing?” Kaitlyn requests in a sweet tone.

“Coming right up!” AJ answers as she sets two plates on the table in front of John and Seth.

“Wow, this has a ton of flavors,” Seth comments after he takes a bite.

“Maybe a little bit _too_ many,” John adds.

“I always say that this particular cake has a very acquired tastes. It’s definitely very rich and some people find it a bit overwhelming,” Kaitlyn informs.

“This next one is a white cake with lemon buttercream and raspberries,” AJ tells them as she clears their plates.

Seth licks his lips. “I really like this one.”

“It’s very good,” John agrees.

“I’ll make a note that this is a possibility,” Kaitlyn remarks.

“This is one of my personal favorites. It’s banana cake with chocolate buttercream,” AJ announces as she hands John and Seth a slice.

“It’s interesting. I like bananas, but I don’t think it’s meant to be a cake flavor,” Seth critiques.

“I don’t really like it either,” John gives his opinion.

They try a few more different kinds of cake and some are hits and some are misses. Kaitlyn has been keeping track of their tastes preferences and she thinks she has the perfect choice. She leaves John and Seth alone for a few minutes because she has to warm up the special frosting for the next piece of cake that she wants them to taste. John and Seth are playfully hitting each other when she joins them back at the table.

“I think this is going to be the _one_. It’s coconut cake with a vanilla and lime buttercream frosting. It’s absolutely amazing!” Kaitlyn gushes.

Seth moans at the taste. “Yes! I really love this one.”

“It’s phenomenal,” John praises.

John and Seth love the cake so much that they ask Kaitlyn if they can have some more. Kaitlyn yells for AJ to bring the rest of the cake and she complies. Kaitlyn frosted the cake in a rush, so there’s a few globs of frosting hanging off of the cake. Seth swipes some of the excess icing with his finger and he flings it in John’s direction. Unfortunately, Seth’s aim is off and the icing lands on the front of Kaitlyn’s white shirt. Seth feels embarrassed and apologizes profusely.

“Food fight!” Kaitlyn yells as she wipes some frosting onto Seth’s shirt in retaliation.

John laughs at both of them, so they turn to him with wicked grins on their faces. John leaves his chair and he tries to get out of the way, but Seth hits him right on the cheek with a piece of chocolate cake. Before he can recover, Kaitlyn rubs some frosting on his white t-shirt. There’s cake flying everywhere and all 3 of them are having a fun time. Sometime during the impromptu food fight, AJ brought out several containers of various frosting. She tries to sneak away, but Kaitlyn manages to stick her vanilla icing covered finger down her blouse.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll lick it up later,” Kaitlyn whispers lasciviously.

AJ gives her a sweet kiss. “I can’t wait!”

Seth is chasing John with 2 hands full of cake. Both men are already completely covered with various flavors of frosting and cake. John trips and he falls on his back. Seth also doesn’t see the slippery spot and he loses his footing as well. He falls right on top of John. Despite the fact that they’re uncomfortable from being so sticky and squishy, neither man moves from their position for a while. They just stare into each other’s eyes and lay still. They’re snapped out of their trance by Kaitlyn standing above them.

“You boys ok?” Kaitlyn checks.

“Yeah, we’re just clumsy,” John answers.

“That was pretty fun! I wish all of my clients were as cool as you are,” Kaitlyn comments.

“I assume that I should come back and pick what specific designs I want?” Seth asks.

“Yes, we can set up an appointment after I clean up a little bit,” Kaitlyn says.

Seth surveys the place and he’s not shocked at how messy the bakery is. Being the gentleman that he is, John offers to help Kaitlyn and AJ clean up the mess. Seth helps as well and eventually the only thing dirty are all of their outfits. Seth makes another appointment and then he and John leave. Seth feels bad that John’s car seats are going to be ruined by their outfits. He tells John that he can shower at his house so he doesn’t have to drive all of the way home with dry frosting all over his body.

“Thank you,” John gratefully accepts.

Luckily, John has his gym bag in the car so he has something to change into. Dean’s car isn’t in the driveway, so Seth is sure that he’s at work. Seth shows John to the guest bathroom and he tells him that he’ll be back with a towel. John nods and he starts taking off his clothes when Seth walks out. John has just disappeared into the shower when Seth is back with the towel. The shower curtain is _extremely_ sheer so Seth looks away quickly. He gathers John’s dirty clothes and he decides that he’s going to wash them along with his. John comes out of the bathroom fully dressed and he finds Seth wearing a robe.

“I just put your clothes in the washer. Do you want to stay until they’re done?” Seth inquires.

“Sure,” John states.

* * *

There’s nothing on TV, so Seth puts in a DVD for him and John to watch while they wait on his clothes to dry. Midway through the movie, they hear Dean putting his key in the lock. Seth distances himself from John a little bit and he looks down at his watch. It’s only 2:00 p.m. so Seth wonders why his fiancé is home so early. Dean’s smile fades when his eyes land on John sitting next to Seth on _his_ couch.

“What the hell is _he_ doing here?” Dean demands.

“He’s my friend, Dean. I invited him here,” Seth answers.

“Well, I want him gone!” Dean yells.

“Don’t be rude!” Seth retorts.

Dean takes a deep breath to calm himself down. Dean looks at John with an evil gleam in his eyes before he turns to Seth. He grabs Seth’s face suddenly and kisses Seth unexpectedly. Seth tries to push Dean away, but Dean is holding on to him too strongly. John has to look away because it’s too painful for him to watch. When Dean finally breaks the kiss, he’s smiling victoriously. Seth looks in John’s direction and John looks heartbroken.

“I’m gonna go, Seth,” John announces.

“But what about your clothes?” Seth mentions.

“I’ll get them some other time,” John says on his way out of the door.

Seth glares at Dean. “You’re a dick.”

“I was just having a little fun,” Dean defends his actions.

“It wasn’t fun for me and that damn sure wasn’t fun for John,” Seth points out.

“You’re trying to make me out to be a bad guy when all I did was kiss my fiancé,” Dean plays innocent.

“That wasn’t a kiss, that was a show of ownership to stroke your fragile ego!” Seth barks.

Dean grabs Seth’s face a little roughly. “Watch your tone when you speak to me.”

“Let me go,” Seth tells him.

“You still haven’t given John his invitation,” Dean hints.

“I’ll give it to him,” Seth assures him.  

* * *

Seth has had plenty of opportunities to give John his invitation for the wedding, but he keeps putting it off. It’s the last night of spring break and Seth has finally found the courage to give him the invitation. Seth opens the drawer in his bedroom where he placed John’s invitation and he’s surprised that it’s not there. He wonders if he put it somewhere else, but he has no memory of moving it. Seth just shrugs and decides that he’ll write him another one and give it to him tomorrow.

* * *

Dean parks in the unfamiliar driveway and he clutches the pristine white envelope in his hands tightly. Part of him doesn’t want to be here, but the other part of him is looking forward to the ensuing confrontation. He knocks on the door a few times and he waits impatiently. When no one answers after about a minute, he knocks louder and more frequently. Finally, the door opens.

“Wow. Teacher’s salaries can afford a _lovely_ apartment like this, huh?” Dean teases.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” John wants to know.

Dean hands him the invitation. “I wanted to personally invite you to my wedding.”

“You mean that you want to rub it in my face,” John interprets.

“Yes, pretty much,” Dean admits.

“Are you really that insecure?” John counters.

“Excuse me?” Dean replies.

“You see me as a threat, Dean. You’re the one getting married to Seth, but you know that he doesn’t love _you_ ,” John points out.

“It doesn’t matter though because I’m still the one that he’ll come home to every night. I’ll get to kiss him and fuck him whenever I want to. And then that leaves you as the odd man out,” Dean antagonizes.

“But you’re always going to wonder who he’s really thinking about, aren’t you?” John retorts.

Instead of replying with words, Dean catches John off guard and he pushes him. Dean takes advantage of John being on the ground and he starts kicking him in the stomach. John groans in pain and uses all of his strength to turn over and kick Dean off of him. John uses one of his hands to hold his stomach while he punches Dean in the lip. Dean can taste the blood in his mouth, but he throws a punch of his own. John’s eye is definitely going to swell and bruise later.

“Seth is _mine_ , John. You can’t have him!” Dean shouts as he kicks John in his stomach repeatedly.

Dean’s assault on John’s stomach and chest is relentless. John is in excruciating pain and he starts coughing up blood. Dean finally stops kicking him and he leaves. Some of Dean’s vicious kicks hit John right in the ribs and he’s having trouble breathing. John digs his cell phone out of his pocket and dials 911. Dean’s lip is busted and still bleeding by the time that he makes it back to his house. Seth rushes over to him when he notices the injury.

“What happened to you?” Seth wants to know.

“John hit me,” Dean tells Seth _half_ of the story.

“What?” Seth replies in disbelief.

“I went over to give him the wedding invitation and after we exchanged heated words, he punched me,” Dean tells his version of the story.

“That doesn’t seem like something that John would do,” Seth points out skeptically.

“Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think,” Dean argues.

Dean walks by Seth and heads to the bathroom so that he can clean himself up. Seth is left completely stunned. John isn’t a compulsive person; he’s normally in control of his emotions and a rational thinker. However, Seth can’t ignore the fact that hisfiancé is obviously wounded. Seth calls John so that he can get his side of the story, but John doesn’t answer the phone. Seth dials his number one more time and John doesn’t pick up again. Seth decides that he’ll just ask John what happened when he sees him at work tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a tense confrontation, huh?
> 
> I couldn't fit everything that happened after the fight into this chapter, so next chapter picks up right after this one.
> 
> The food fight scene was honestly the most fun scene I've possibly ever written!
> 
> I've had a few people ask and the reason that Seth is marrying Dean will get revealed during Chapter 10.
> 
> Coming up next chapter: Seth finds out the truth about Dean and John's confrontation, Seth moves out, and John and Seth sleep in the same bed.


	9. Month 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is equal parts sweet and angst and I love it.
> 
> Dean is in the chapter briefly.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope that you will enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

When Seth wakes up in the morning, he feels paranoid and he thinks that _something_ is wrong. He shakes the feeling and goes about his day as he normally does. He enters the teacher’s lounge and before he can get some coffee, he notices Natalya and Beth sitting at the table. This is a common sight, except for the fact that Nattie is crying and Beth looks sad. Seth sits down across from the couple and he gently takes Natalya’s hand.

“What’s going on?” Seth wants to know.

“You didn’t hear about John?” Nattie asks.

Seth turns pale. “No, what happened?”

“We don’t know the specifics, but he’s in the hospital,” Beth reveals.

“Is he ok?” Seth questions, panic in his tone.

“We don’t know,” Natalya replies as she dries her eyes.

Seth desperately wants to take the whole day off and go visit John. His first class starts in 15 minutes though, so there’s not enough time for the school to get a substitute. Seth kisses Nattie on the cheek and tries to cheer her up before he leaves the lounge. Seth knows that he has to focus and mask his emotions for his students, but he’s not feeling well at all. He plans to go visit John as soon as he’s finished teaching. Seth isn’t much for prayer, but he prays that John is all right.

* * *

Seth stops by the gift store at the hospital before he goes to John’s room. He sees a teddy bear that has “Get Well Soon” written on it and he thinks that John will like it so he buys it. Seth knocks softly on the door to John’s room because he isn’t sure if John is sleeping or not. He hears John tell him to come in so he enters the room. One of John’s eyes is swollen and black. His hospital gown is open in the front and Seth notices that there are bandages around his midsection. He approaches the bed and hands the bear to John.

“Thank you,” John tells him with a smile.

“You’re welcome. What happened to you?” Seth wonders.

“Your fiancé has anger issues,” John responds.

“Dean did this to you?” Seth questions.

John nods. “He came over to brag about getting married to you. He got a few cheap hits in and then he started kicking the hell out of me. I have a few fractured ribs. It still hurts to move, but at least I’m breathing better than I was.”

“I should have known that he was lying to me last night. I am so, so sorry,” Seth apologizes.

“It’s not your fault, Seth. You can’t control what someone else does,” John replies.

Seth shakes his head. “I was supposed to give you an invitation a while ago. If I would have done it, this never would have happened to you.”

“Please, stop blaming yourself. I am a little curious though; why didn’t you give me the invitation?” John inquires.

“I didn’t want to see the look on your face when you received it. I also thought that you wouldn’t want to come,” Seth explains.

“Do you want me to come?” John wonders.

“Not if you don’t want to,” Seth responds.

John makes some room on his hospital bed and he requests that Seth join him. Seth looks a little uncertain, but he complies. Seth makes sure not to put too much pressure on John’s ribs. John wraps one of his arms around Seth and he tries to hide the grimace on his face. John hopes to get released from the hospital tonight, but he won’t be leaving without any pain medication. Seth snuggles a little closer to John and for the first time since he was injured, John ignores the pain.

“Is there anything that I can do for you?” Seth offers.

“Just stay here until I fall asleep,” John answers.

“I can do that,” Seth replies.

John’s doctor comes in a little while after John falls asleep. He checks his chart and he tells Seth that John will be discharged after he wakes up. Seth reaches for his phone and he texts Nattie, Beth, Punk, and Stephen with an update on John’s condition. Natalya really wants to see John, so she tells Seth that she and Beth will come get him and take him home. Seth stays until it’s time for John to go.

Seth looks at Nattie. “Take good care of him.”

“You know that I will. Beth is going to cook for him and I’ll give him his meds,” Natalya states.

“Call me if you need anything,” Seth mentions.

* * *

Seth doesn’t know how he managed to keep his cool around John because he is absolutely pissed with Dean right now. He checks his watch and it’s a little after 7:00 p.m. Dean should be off of work and at their house. Seth is going to confront him about hurting John. Seth parks behind Dean’s car in their driveway. When Seth doesn’t see Dean in the living room or kitchen, he goes to their bedroom. Dean is lounging in bed like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“You lied to me!” Seth accuses.

“What did I allegedly lie about?” Dean counters.

“You conveniently left out details about your fight with John,” Seth points out.

Dean rolls his eyes. “Why does it matter?”

“He was in the fucking hospital, Dean!” Seth yells.

“Do you expect me to feel remorse?” Dean questions.

“No, of course I don’t. I’m just now realizing what kind of man that you are,” Seth comments.

Dean looks offended. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t care about anyone but yourself. I should have figured this out when you asked me to marry you,” Seth reflects.

“Whoa, Seth! It sounds you regret being engaged to me. Remember what’s at stake here,” Dean reminds him.

“I fucking know what’s at stake! I think about it every single day!” Seth exclaims.

“You better start acting like it. After we’re married, you’re _mine_ , Seth. No more hanging out with your little boyfriend. Have your fun now because in 2 months, everything is going to change. The only time that you’re going to see John is at your job,” Dean informs him.

Seth is seething, but he decides not to say anything back. Instead, he walks into his closet and finds a duffle bag. He starts frantically grabbing some of his clothes and throwing them into the bag. He grabs his phone and laptop chargers and tosses his laptop into the duffle as well. He walks past Dean to get to the bathroom so that he can grab his toiletries. Dean watches Seth pack with an almost amused expression on his face.

“And where exactly do you think that you’re going?” Dean questions.

“Anywhere but here. I can’t stand to look at you right now,” Seth answers.

* * *

When Seth gets into his car, he drives quickly away from his house. He pulls up at a gas station because he needs to figure out where he’s going to go. He doesn’t want to stay with Punk and Jeff because Jeff just got back from his tour not that long ago. Jeff and Punk are going to be fucking like bunnies and Seth doesn’t want to intrude. Nattie and Beth aren’t an option because Seth definitely doesn’t want to hear them having lesbian sex. John’s apartment only has one bedroom so that won’t work either. The only person left that Seth can think of is Stephen. Stephen lives by himself and he has an extra bedroom.

Seth calls Stephen beforehand because just showing up at his house at night would be rude. He briefly explains that he needs somewhere to stay for a few days and Stephen tells him to come over. Seth smiles because he’s so grateful to have such amazing friends. Stephen welcomes him with open arms and Seth feels so thankful. Seth drinks a beer with Stephen and then he retreats to the guestroom. It’s been a long, stressful, and emotional day so Seth is exhausted. He sends John a text to make sure that everything is fine before he falls asleep.

* * *

The March days turn into April showers as a few weeks go by. Seth is still staying with Stephen and he’s spending even more time with John. Dean calls . . . a lot, but Seth continually ignores his calls. Seth really wants to punish Dean for his actions, so he’s avoiding him until he has forgiven him. It’s a Friday night and Seth wants to go out somewhere. Stephen is going out with the new Marine Biology teacher, Wade Barrett, so Seth wants to stay away from Stephen’s house. John made the excuse earlier that he wanted to stay in because he had a lot of papers to grade. Seth picks up a few movies from Red Box and he buys some snacks. He’s going to crash John’s work session.

“I know you’re in there, John,” Seth remarks as he knocks on John’s door.

John opens the door. “Hey Seth. I’m pleasantly surprised to see you.”

“You said that you couldn’t go out, so how about we spend a night in?” Seth suggests as he walks into the apartment.

“You know that I wasn’t blowing you off earlier, right? I really do need to catch up on my grading. I missed a few classes with my injury and I fell behind,” John explains as he sits down on his bed.

“You still have tomorrow and Sunday to grade. Have fun with me,” Seth encourages.

John laughs. “You’re not going to leave me alone until I say yes, are you?”

“Nope,” Seth simply replies.

“Fine!” John concedes.

John removes all of the essays from his bed so that Seth has enough room. Seth lets John pick which movie that they want to watch. John chooses The Cabin in the Woods and Seth likes his choice. Seth pops 2 bags of popcorn and grabs 2 beers before he joins John back in his room. Seth hands John one of the beers and places the large bowl of popcorn in the small gap between their bodies. John puts the movie in his DVD player and he gets into a comfortable position beside Seth.

* * *

After the movie ends, John and Seth share a pint of John’s favorite ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s. Somehow, Seth ends up facing John and straddling his hips. They’re only using one spoon so they alternate spoonfuls. John scrapes the corners of the carton and feeds Seth the last of the ice cream. Seth licks the spoon lasciviously and John has to will himself not to get hard at the sight. Seth grins at John and wraps his arms around his neck. They spend a few minutes just staring into each other’s eyes.

“I don’t want to go back to Stephen’s house,” Seth tells John.

“You know that you don’t have to. You can stay here,” John offers.

“Fine, but I don’t want to sleep on your couch,” Seth whispers directly into his ear.

“Really?” John asks with a raised eyebrow.

Seth nuzzles his cheek. “Really.”

John closes his eyes as he enjoys the sensation of Seth’s soft skin caressing his. John rubs Seth’s arms delicately and Seth loves how gentle that John’s large hands always are. Seth can feel the goose bumps forming and he knows that his whole body is flushed. John’s hands explore Seth’s chest and abs over the top of his shirt. Seth isn’t sure that he has ever felt so much pleasure from a rather innocent touch. Seth grazes his lips against John’s in a light, barely there kiss.

“We should probably get ready for bed,” John says.

“I sleep in just boxers, what about you?” Seth wants to know.

“The same,” John responds.

Seth reluctantly detaches himself from John’s body and gets off of the bed. He slowly unbuttons his top and steps out of his jeans. He’s left wearing a pair of luxurious black silk boxers. John does get an erection this time and he knows that he can’t force this one away. Seth gets back on John’s bed and he lays with his hands behind his head like he’s waiting for a show. John slips his t-shirt above his head and he quickly gets rid of his jean shorts. He’s left wearing a pair of white cotton boxers that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination.

“Wow!” Seth exclaims.

“I’m sorry. I’m kind of like a 13 year old boy and I pop a boner quickly,” John apologizes.

“I definitely understand the problem,” Seth hints.

Eventually, both men calm down and their erections go away. Seth gets into a comfortable position on his side and he shudders when he feels John’s bare skin against his. John drapes his arms around Seth’s body and Seth immediately feels safe and secure. Seth’s eyes close and he knows that he’s going to fall asleep soon. He mutters a good night to John and completely relaxes in his embrace. John gives Seth a chaste kiss on the forehead and whispers good night. Both of them drift off into an extremely contented sleep.

* * *

Seth is brought out of his slumber when he feels a wet pressure on his neck. He thinks that maybe John is drooling in his sleep, but then he feels soft, plump lips moving against his neck. One of John’s hands is lazily resting on Seth’s morning wood and he assumes that John is still sleeping. Seth is trying to remove himself from John’s arms without waking him, but he stops when that hand squeezes his erection. The sudden pleasure catches him off guard.

“John!” He groans in surprise.

John starts to stir after he hears Seth’s half-ecstasy, half-shocked moan. He immediately removes his mouth from Seth’s neck and quickly snatches his hand away when he realizes what he was just doing. John leaps out of bed like it’s on fire. Panic is written all over John’s handsome face. He runs a frustrated hand through what little hair that he has and takes a few deep breaths.

“Fuck! I’m really, really sorry about that,” John apologizes.

“It’s ok,” Seth placates him.

“No, it’s not, Seth,” John argues.

“You were asleep, so you weren’t even aware of what you were doing,” Seth explains.

John shakes his head. “That’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have even . . . this was a mistake.”

“What was a mistake?” Seth inquires.

“Whatever the hell _this_ is between us. Your wedding is in exactly 2 months. What the fuck was I thinking?” John exclaims.

“John, what—”

John interrupts him. “I should have stayed away from you the minute I realized that I had feelings for you. I should have been strong enough to resist you when you looked at me with those damn brown eyes and asked me to be friends. You’re getting married soon and I’m falling harder for you every day. I can’t do this anymore, Seth. You were right not to give me an invitation to your wedding because I’m not going. I can’t watch you promise forever to Dean.”

Seth has a reply on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn’t get a chance to say it. John starts putting his clothes on and he walks out of the door. Seth hears the front door slam and he desperately wants to go after John. He thinks that John probably needs some time to himself, so he decides not to follow him. He feels bad because John is completely justified in everything that he said. Seth has selfishly lead him on and he feels so awful about it. Seth bites his lip and lets the torrent of tears fall from his eyes. He’s marrying a man that he doesn’t want to be with anymore and he just broke the heart of the man that he truly cares about. Seth cries himself to sleep and he dwells on how complicated and unfair that his life is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here they go again taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back!
> 
> They have 2 months (and 2 chapters) to get their shit together! Can they do it?
> 
> Chapter 10 is probably the most anticipated chapter of the fic and it was my favorite to write! 
> 
> Here's what's coming up: John and Seth spend another night together, Dean threatens to call off the wedding, a secret gets revealed about Seth and Dean's relationship, and Seth finally tells John why he's marrying Dean.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favorite chapter to write and I hope that you all enjoy reading it as well!
> 
> This is one of the longest chapters because there's so much that happens!
> 
> I've kept you all in suspense long enough, so all is revealed during this chapter! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

Seth’s wedding is just 1 month away now and he’s finally back home with Dean. Dean seems legitimately excited that Seth is back, but Seth is miserable. Dean kisses Seth passionately, but Seth is barely responding. Before he knows it, Seth is laying on his back with Dean thrusting above him. Seth is not engaged in the sex at all, but Dean still manages to reach orgasm. Seth is so out of it that he doesn’t realize that Dean has been calling his name for a minute.

“You didn’t cum,” Dean notices.

“I’m just really tired,” Seth lies.

Dean kisses his shoulder. “Get some sleep, sweetheart. I love you.”

Seth turns on his side, facing away from Dean. Seth stopped saying “I love you too” back to Dean a while ago, but he feels disgusted with himself whenever Dean says the “L” word now. It just doesn’t feel right whenever Dean utters those 3 words to him. As soon as Seth closes his eyes, he replays the scene of John angrily walking out on him a few weeks ago. He sighs because he knows that he’s not going to get much sleep once again.

* * *

Seth doesn’t think that his weight has changed much since he first tried on his tux, but he has to try it on again since the wedding is approaching very quickly. The nice associate at the store helps Seth with the tux and makes sure that it fits just right. Seth looks at himself in the full length mirror and he doesn’t like what he sees. He has bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and he just looks listless. Seth adjusts his tie before turning to the sales associate.

“It looks good and it fits perfectly,” Seth comments.

“You aren’t smiling. Shouldn’t you be happy since the wedding is so close?” The associate questions.

“Some people dream about having the perfect wedding. I was never that shallow, though. I always dreamed about having the perfect groom,” Seth reveals.

“And your fiancé—”

Seth cuts him off. “He’s not my knight in shining armor.”

The sales associate looks sad and he wants to say something, but he keeps his mouth shut. Seth finishes paying for his tux and then he heads to Diva’s Bakery. He met with Kaitlyn last month and she drew the design for the cake. Now, he’s going to see what it looks like in person to make sure that he likes it. Kaitlyn and AJ are just finishing up consulting with a customer when he walks in. They smile and tell him to sit down.

“Where’s your friend? I was hoping to have another food fight!” Kaitlyn exclaims.

“He and I had a little bit of a falling out,” Seth explains vaguely.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kaitlyn tells him sincerely.

The cake is very large because it has 5 layers to it, so AJ has to roll it out on a cart. It’s absolutely beautiful and Seth loves it. Even though it’s slightly over the top, Seth really loves it. The only thing missing are the cake toppers. Kaitlyn surprises him with a custom made one. She painted some of the hair blonde and Seth thinks that it’s awesome. She gives him a catalog so that he can pick out the other one.

“I don’t know what your fiancé looks like, so you can find one that resembles him the most,” Kaitlyn says.         

Seth starts flipping through the catalog and skips right over the ones that clearly don’t look like Dean. He gets to a section of blue eyed brunettes and he stops involuntarily at the page. He skims over most of them, but he pauses when he sees a picture of a very muscular one. He smiles sadly because it reminds him of John. Seth doesn’t realize that he’s staring at it until Kaitlyn waves her hand in front of his face.

“You’re in love with your friend, aren’t you?” Kaitlyn guesses.

“Huh?” Seth unintelligently replies.

“You’ve been staring at that cake topper that looks like him for about 10 minutes,” Kaitlyn informs him.

“Oh,” Seth replies with a blush covering his cheeks.

“If it makes you feel any better, he’s in love with you too. I could feel it when he was here,” Kaitlyn adds.

“That just makes everything worse,” Seth states.

“I know you don’t know me very well, but I’m here if you need someone to talk to,” Kaitlyn lets him know.

“Thank you. I really appreciate that,” Seth comments.

* * *

John hasn’t really spoken to Seth since that awkward morning after they spent the night together. He misses him a lot, but he knows that it’s better if he keeps his distance from Seth. John feels his phone vibrating in his pocket and he notices that it’s Seth calling him. He wants to answer it so badly, but he fights the urge and just lets it ring. He’s getting ready to put his phone back in his pocket when he gets a notification for a voicemail. John decides to listen to it because he’s worried that Seth might need him for something.

“It’s nice to hear your voice again even if it’s just on your voicemail. You never gave me the chance to apologize to you because you just stormed out that morning. I am really sorry for all of the emotional turmoil that I’ve put you through. The last thing that I _ever_ wanted to do was hurt you, John. I miss you so much. I know that you probably hate me—”

John stops the voicemail halfway through because he can’t listen anymore. John can’t stand the thought of Seth thinking that he hates him, so he calls him back. They agree that they need to talk and Seth wants to take John somewhere special. John is a little reluctant, but his desire to see Seth is just too strong. Seth tells him that he’ll be at his apartment to pick him up in about 15 minutes.

* * *

“Did you bring me out here in the middle of nowhere to kill me?” John jokes when Seth pulls up to an abandoned field.

Seth laughs. “No, of course not.”

“There’s literally nothing out here,” John observes.

“Look up. The stars are so beautiful and they look closer from here,” Seth explains.

It’s a warm May night and the wind is blowing gently. Seth grabs a thick quilt from his car and he puts it down on the grass. He grabs a thin duvet to cover himself and John with. John stretches until he’s comfortable on the blanket. Seth sits down in between John’s legs and he prays that John won’t push him away. John does the opposite and instinctively wraps his arms around Seth. Seth closes his eyes so that he can focus on how amazing that he currently feels. This might be the last time that he ever gets to experience John’s warmth.

“I know that I’m being selfish, but everything is so much better when I’m with you,” Seth admits.

“I understand,” John empathizes.

“You make me feel things that I’ve never felt before,” Seth discloses.

John pulls him closer. “But it’s not enough to change things.”

“Don’t look at it that way,” Seth tells him.

“How else am I supposed to look at it?” John questions.

“I’m marrying Dean because I need something from him. It’s not as if I’m picking him over you,” Seth tries to explain.

“And whatever it is that you need from him is something that I can’t give you?” John checks.

Seth sighs. “Can we change the subject? I really don’t want to talk about this.”

John caresses Seth’s arms and apologizes for badgering him. They look up at the stars above them and it is honestly a magnificent sight. Both men feel calmer and more at ease as they gaze at the brilliant stars. Hours pass and it starts getting late. Seth kicks off his shoes and lays down, silently asking John to join him. John wordlessly slips behind him and wraps his arms securely around Seth’s waist.

“Good night,” Seth says.

“Good night,” John repeats.

* * *

John and Seth wake up at the same time. John doesn’t freak out this time and Seth is grateful. Seth offers to take John out for breakfast before he takes him home. Seth drops John off after they enjoy a delicious meal at Denny’s. Seth picks some leaves out of his hair as he walks inside of his house. Dean is sitting very still in the living room. There’s no TV on and he looks extremely pissed off.

“Did you spend the night with John?” Dean asks callously.

“Yes, but nothing happened,” Seth answers truthfully.

Dean scoffs. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m telling you the truth, Dean. We even kept on all of our clothes,” Seth replies.

“What would you do if _I_ decided to call off the wedding?” Dean challenges.

“You wouldn’t do that,” Seth argues.

“Are you sure about that? You’re going to benefit way more than I am if we get married. You don’t even love me, Seth. I’m not naïve enough to believe that your feelings for me are ever going to change. You’re having sleepovers with another man a month before our wedding. What exactly do I have to gain here?” Dean retorts.

Seth fights back tears. “Please, marry me. I’ll do whatever you want, Dean. I’ll stop talking to John and anything else that you want.”

“You’ll really do _whatever_ I want you to do?” Dean checks.

“Yes,” Seth promises.

“Why don’t you start by getting down on your knees and sucking my cock,” Dean says in a stern voice.

“O-Ok,” Seth responds with a shaky voice.

* * *

There’s something wrong with Seth. John and his friends have noticed that Seth has been acting very strange. He keeps completely to himself and he’s withdrawn. He even shocked everyone when he took the blonde out of his hair. John wants to figure out what’s going on and he also wants to talk to Seth about something important. He approaches Seth when school is over, but he ignores him. John follows him to his car and gently grabs his arm before Seth gets in the front seat. Seth’s grimace in pain doesn’t escape John.

“We need to talk,” John tells him.

“I can’t talk to you anymore,” Seth replies.

“Why not? Did Dean tell you that you couldn’t? Because if he did, you’re a grown man and you don’t have to do everything that he tells you,” John counters.

“Stop acting like you know anything about my relationship with myfiancé!” Seth snaps.

John is going to ask Seth what’s wrong with him, but he doesn’t get a chance to get the words out. Tears start falling  from Seth’s eyes and he pulls John into a tight hug. John has no idea what’s going on with Seth, but he comforts him anyway. He rubs soothing circles into Seth’s back and John tries to get him to calm down. Seth does eventually compose himself, but he’s still holding on to John.

“I’m sorry,” Seth mumbles into John’s chest.

“I just want to know what’s going on with you. You’ve been so weird lately,” John responds.

“We can talk at your house, but I can’t stay for long,” Seth lets him know.

* * *

John has to go to the bathroom, so he tells Seth to just make himself at home like he always does. Seth sits down on the couch and he notices a bunch of papers on the coffee table in the living room. Seth isn’t normally one to snoop, but something tells him to take a peek. Most of the stack is just ungraded papers, but Seth eventually finds a few pieces of paper that catch his eye. He’s reading one of the pages when John comes back.

“Why do you have all of this stuff about the high school in Rosemont?” Seth wants to know.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m going to be teaching there next year,” John reveals.

“What? You’re leaving?” Seth asks with a hurt voice.

“Yeah. It’s only 30 minutes away so—”

Seth interrupts him. “You’re leaving me. Why?”

“You know why, Seth. I can’t stay and watch you become Mr. Ambrose,” John answers.

“I’ll never get to see you anymore,” Seth says.

“That’s not true. I really like the life that I have here and I’ve made some great friends. I’ll come and visit all of the time,” John assures him.

“But I won’t get to see you every day and . . . ” Seth trails off.

“I’m not thrilled about this situation either, but I have to think about my heart. It will _kill_ me to see you married to him,” John whispers.

Seth understands John’s decision, but he doesn’t like it at all. He doesn’t know how he’s going to cope with not being able to see John every morning. John has become such a huge part of his life and now he’s leaving. Seth starts pacing and John tries to wrap his arms around Seth to placate him. Seth pushes him away, but John doesn’t budge because he’s so strong. John softly grabs Seth’s arms and Seth groans in agony. John suddenly remembers that Seth seemed like he was in pain when he lightly touched his arm earlier.

“What’s wrong with your arm?” John questions in a concerned tone.

“Nothing,” Seth lies.

John has never caught Seth in a lie before, but he knows that he’s being deceitful right now. John carefully approaches Seth and he starts unbuttoning Seth’s long sleeve shirt. Seth looks scared and he tries to stop John from taking his shirt off. He gets to the last button and he slowly removes Seth’s top. John sees bright red marks on both of Seth’s arms. Seth’s chest has some bruises too.

“He did this to you, didn’t he?” John accuses.

“Yes, but—”

John cuts him off. “There is no but! He’s abusing you, Seth.”

“I have to endure it though,” Seth replies.

“Do you hear yourself? You’re not marrying a man that hits you. I don’t care what your reasons are,” John tells him in a serious voice.

Seth stars to cry. “It’s my parents, John. My mom is really, really sick. She doesn’t have health insurance and my dad’s health insurance plan is extremely shitty. He’s working 2 jobs trying to pay all of their bills and they’re still in major debt. They’re in so much debt that they could lose their house. Her health has deteriorated a lot lately and she needs to get a procedure done soon. They can’t afford it though. She might die if she doesn’t get the surgery. I can’t lose my mom and I can’t stand to see them struggling so much. I have to save them, John. If I marry Dean, he’ll give them the money for the surgery and pay off all of their debt. If I don’t go through with the marriage, he won’t give them the money.”

John dries Seth’s tears. “I can guarantee that if your parents knew what you were going through, they would ask you not to do it. I understand that you want to save your parents, but _this_ isn’t the way. How do you think they would feel if they found out that in order to help them, you had to get hurt?”

“So you want me to just watch my mom die? I can take being slapped around if it means that she and my dad are alive and living happily. They sacrificed so much for me. It’s my turn to sacrifice now,” Seth explains.

John shakes his head. “Seth, this is way more than making a sacrifice. I am not going to just allow you to get abused. How much money do they need?”

“I’m not sure, probably close to $250,000. This isn’t your choice, John. You can’t stop me from marrying Dean,” Seth replies.

“I am head over heels in love with you, Seth Rollins. You are the kindest man that I’ve ever met and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you are taken care of. I promise you that everything will be ok. Do you trust me, Seth?” John asks.

“I trust you with my life,” Seth responds.

“We’re going to drive to your house right now so that you can tell Dean that you’re not marrying him,” John informs him.

“But I don’t understand—”

“I have the money, Seth. Your mom will get her surgery and their debt will be erased,” John guarantees.

“How?” Seth wants to know.

“I’ll explain it to you on the drive to your place. Now, let’s go,” John says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Takes a deep breath* So much went down during this chapter and I was an emotional wreck after writing it! 
> 
> I decided to end it here because the last chapter is long enough and I didn't want to combine them.
> 
> Chapter 11 starts exactly where this one ends though.
> 
> I'm kind of sad that this is almost over, but Chapter 11 is a really good one.
> 
> Here's what's coming up next: You have to wait and read to find out!


	11. Month 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a wonderful journey and here's the last chapter before the epilogue!
> 
> This is the longest chapter and I surely hope that you all enjoy! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

Seth raises an eyebrow. “Wait. You have a quarter of a million dollars stashed somewhere and you’re going to just _give_ it to me so that you can help my parents? You’ve never even met my parents.”

“I am going to happily pay for your freedom, Seth. I feel like I owe your parents because they brought you into this world. In my eyes, they’re wonderful people,” John replies.

“You’re my hero, John. You’re my knight in shining armor that I’ve always longed for,” Seth reveals.

“So does that make you my damsel in distress?” John jokes.

“Not anymore. I’m saved now,” Seth comments with a bright smile.

“Let’s go make your freedom official,” John says.

* * *

Seth has never felt so many emotions at once. He’s relieved, excited, and anxious all at the same time. He looks at John as he’s driving and he can’t believe that he has such an amazing man in his life. Seth reaches for John’s hand at a red light and he interlaces them. John brings Seth’s knuckles up to his mouth and plants a light kiss on them. Seth, of course, blushes at the sentiment.

“You remember I told you that Evan and I planned to move here?” John asks.

Seth nods. “Yeah.”

“We were saving some money to buy a house. We didn’t have as much as we wanted to, but we did have a good amount of money saved. When he died, his life insurance went to his parents because they were his next of kin. His parents graciously gave me the money because they said that’s what he would have wanted,” John explains.

“You didn’t spend any of it?” Seth questions.

“I wanted to wait until I found a worthy cause. He was a giving man and I think he’d be happy about how I’m choosing to spend it,” John answers.

“As strange as this sounds, I kind of wish I had the honor of meeting him,” Seth admits.

“Well, Cody’s dating Evan’s first cousin who was like a brother to him. If you ever meet Randy, it’ll be like meeting a small part of Evan,” John informs.

“I think it’s very likely that I’ll meet him because I know that Cody’s coming to visit again. I doubt that he’ll come without Randy next time,” Seth assumes.

“Good point,” John agrees.

* * *

“Why are there so many cars in your driveway?” John wonders as he parks across the street from Seth’s house.

“I have no idea. Maybe Dean invited some of his friends over,” Seth guesses.

“Are you nervous?” John checks.

“Just a little,” Seth confesses.

“I’m with you so everything will be just fine,” John assures him.

Seth takes his key out of his pocket and he unlocks the door to his house. When he walks in, he sees Dean’s parents and a few more of his family members sitting in the living room. Seth immediately feels uncomfortable, but John subtly places his hand on Seth’s back to comfort him. Seth twists his engagement ring around his finger idly as he approaches Dean. He takes a deep breath before he confronts him.

“I need to talk to you privately,” Seth softly tells him.

Dean looks over at John. “My family’s here and you decided to bring _him_ with you.”

“Can we just go into the kitchen and talk please?” Seth uses a firmer tone.

“No. Just blurt out whatever you want to say, Seth,” Dean demands.

Seth takes off his ring and hands it to Dean. “Fine. I’m breaking off our engagement.”

“Excuse me?” Dean replies in an incredulous voice.

“I know that you heard me loud and clear,” Seth retorts.

“Have you finally given up on your mom or something—”

Seth cuts him off. “As of now, my mother is _none_ of your concern. The only thing that you need to know is that I’m not marrying you anymore.”

“So what now? Are you and _John_ going to live happily ever after?” Dean mocks.

“Look, I’ll come by and get my stuff in a few days,” Seth responds.

“I gave you everything that money could buy and you’re going to just throw all of that away?” Dean asks.

“You were a great financial provider, Dean. You just never gave me those essential emotional things that I required,” Seth points out.

“Sweetheart, just let him go. He was never good enough for you anyway,” Dean's mom comments with narrowed eyes.

Seth can feel the angry, judgmental looks that he’s receiving from Dean’s family. Seth just wants to grab a few things and leave. He walks over to John and tells him that he wants to go take a few things from his room. John and Seth walk upstairs to go pack and Dean follows after them. John and Seth split up to make the packing go by faster. Seth is just opening up his duffle bag when Dean surprises him by violently squeezing his arm and turning him around to face him. Seth lets out a pain filled grunt and John rushes from the bathroom. John pushes Dean against the nearest wall and places his hands around his neck.

“If you _ever_ put your hands on Seth again, I will kill you with my bare hands. That’s not an idle threat either,” John warns.

Seth pulls John away. “John, he’s not worth it. Let’s just go.”

Seth’s words instantly calm John down and he releases Dean. Seth’s head is starting to hurt and he just wants to get away from Dean and lay down. The drive to John’s apartment is spent mostly in silence. John and Seth head straight to John’s bedroom. Seth is so emotionally drained and exhausted. Seth pulls out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from his bag because he wants to get comfortable. Seth snuggles up to John’s chest and the sound of John’s strong heartbeat relaxes him.

“We can move the rest of your stuff out this weekend if you want to,” John suggests.

“Ok,” Seth simply says.

“This is probably a dumb question, but how are you feeling?” John wants to know.

Seth shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. I mean, I’m delighted to be here with you. But there’s a small part of me that kind of feels bad for Dean. And I hate feeling like that about him.”

“Seth, you have such a huge heart. You’re so full of love and righteousness, so it only makes sense for you to feel that way about him,” John empathizes.

“So you’re not mad at me?” Seth questions.

“Of course not. You were with him for such a long time and I understand that there are probably some lingering feelings,” John responds.

“It doesn’t matter though because I’m _in love_ with you,” Seth expresses for the first time.

John leans down and captures Seth’s lips in a fervent kiss. Seth’s whole body is tingling from the kiss and he wonders if he’ll ever get used to the intensity that John always makes him feel. John slips one of his hands under Seth’s shirt and Seth is overwhelmed by the sensation. John’s touches are getting more enthusiastic and Seth has to stop him before it goes too far. He gently pulls away from John.

“I’m sorry. I’m just not in the right head-space right now,” Seth apologizes.

“Don’t apologize. We can wait, Seth,” John tells him sincerely.

* * *

John is surprised with Seth’s lack of possessions. He mostly just has a lot of clothes that John has to figure out where to store. John will figure out something later. Seth’s mom is having her surgery this morning and Seth wants to introduce John to his parents. Seth also doesn’t want his dad to be by himself as he waits for the procedure to get finished. John holds Seth’s hand as they walk to go meet Seth’s father in the waiting room. John starts fidgeting and Seth knows that he’s nervous.

Seth kisses John on the cheek. “Relax. Everything will be fine.”

“Hey son!” Seth’s dad greets when they make it to the waiting room.

“Hey Dad! This is John,” Seth introduces.

“You’re the young man that has bestowed happiness upon my whole family. I’ll never be able to repay you,” He says as he gives John a hug.

Seth fights back tears. “I owe John everything. He gave me my smile and my life back. He’s my hero and the love of my life. I’ll never be able to repay him either.”

* * *

It’s a beautiful June afternoon and it’s been a week since school has ended. Seth is staring at the calendar and he sighs when he looks at the date. It’s June 20, 2013; it’s supposed to be his wedding day. John walks behind Seth and wraps his muscular arms around him tenderly. He kisses the back of Seth’s neck and Seth immediately feels at ease. Seth grabs a nearby marker and crosses out the date on the calendar.

“You came into my life 10 months ago and I’ve never been more grateful for anything,” Seth states.

“We should do something to celebrate,” John suggests.

“I know just the thing. There’s a delicious cake at Diva’s that is sitting all alone in the refrigerator,” Seth hints.

“Wait, you didn’t cancel your order for your wedding cake?” John questions.

“No and it’s a long story. I’ll call and beg Kaitlyn to redecorate it. In the meantime, can you tell all of our friends that we’re having an impromptu party later?”

“Sure,” John replies.

* * *

Seth gives Kaitlyn and AJ warm hugs and kisses on the cheek when he sees the bakery. Not only did Kaitlyn redecorate the cake, she got a caterer at the last minute to make food for their get together. She also decorated the bakery and she’s letting them have the party there. Punk, Jeff, Stephen, Wade, Beth, Natalya and a few more of their friends come out to celebrate with the new happy couple.

“I would like to make a toast,” Punk announces.

“Oh God,” Seth mumbles.

“No, it’ll be good, trust me,” Punk assures him.

“Ok,” Seth replies skeptically.

Punk clears his throat. “Seth and I have been best friends for a long time. I’ve always been very protective of him because he’s such a sweet person and he’s like a little brother to me. Like a little brother, Seth is stubborn and never listened to me when I asked him to break up with a certain someone who shall remain nameless. Not to dwell on the past, but I felt like I lost Seth when he told me about his engagement. I guess the point that I’m trying to make is that I have John to thank for giving me my best friend back. Seth literally glows when he’s in your presence and I can feel the happiness radiating off of him. You are both amazing men and you deserve each other.”

Kaitlyn has John and Seth move to a table in the middle of the bakery as the rest of their friends continue to wish them well and say wonderful things about them. In the middle of Stephen telling a funny story, Seth’s phone rings. He excuses himself and goes to the bathroom to answer it. When Seth is done with the call, he has a huge smile on his face and he tells John that they need to talk.

“You won’t believe our luck!” Seth exclaims.

“What are you talking about?” John asks.

“My uncle back in Iowa just received a lot of money from a lawsuit. He gave my parents enough money so that they can finally retire. My parents also have enough money so that they can pay you back,” Seth informs him.

“I can’t take their money—”

Seth cuts him off with a kiss. “It’s too late, John. I already graciously accepted their offer.”

“So, I guess we can buy a house together now,” John responds excitedly.

* * *

John and Seth are thankful that their relator found them a house so quickly. It’s spacious, beautiful, and it perfectly fits both of their tastes. Mostly everything is moved in. Their furniture has been delivered, so they think that it’s time to invite their friends for a housewarming party. Of course, they tell everyone that gifts are optional. Seth has a special present that he wants to give John though. Seth hints about what it is, but he won’t tell him.

“Will you tell me if I guess what it is?” John asks.

“No. Just be patient, John. I promise that you will love it,” Seth guarantees.

John sets out the snacks and the bottles of wine. He makes sure that the Pepsi for Punk is cold too. Soon, their guests start to arrive. Surprisingly, everyone has bought a gift. Kaitlyn and AJ’s gift is the only unwrapped one because it’s a cake from the bakery. Everyone is sitting around the table talking when the doorbell rings. John is curious about who’s at the door because all of their close friends are conversing in the living room.

“It’s your gift, go see who it is,” Seth tells him.

John opens the door. “Cody! Randy! Oh my God!”

“Johnny!” Cody exclaims.

John hugs Randy and Cody. “I can’t believe that you guys are here. I also can’t believe that you didn’t tell me!”

“Seth wanted it to be a surprise, so we hid it from you,” Randy explains.

“It means so much to be that you’re here. I want to introduce you to my other friends,” John says.

* * *

Several hours later, and John and Seth finally have their house to themselves. Everyone has gone home and Randy and Cody are at a nearby hotel. John and Seth have a guest room, but they want to be alone for the night. Seth joins John in bed after he’s done cleaning up their living room and kitchen. John dims the lights and he turns off the TV. Seth shudders because he knows exactly what’s on John’s mind.

“You know, this house won’t truly be our home until we have sex in it,” John comments.

“Oh, really?” Seth retorts.

“Uh huh,” John says as he caresses Seth’s arm.

“I think I can help out with that,” Seth responds.

“There’s something that I want you to do first,” John requests.

“What’s that?” Seth wonders.

“Take your hair down. Your hair is always tied back,” John points out.

“Dean didn’t like that my hair was so long, so—”

John interrupts him. “Now, I _definitely_ want to see it.”

Seth removes his hairband and his hair cascades around his shoulders. John is taken aback at how gorgeous that Seth looks. He runs his fingers through his luxurious hair and they both moan at the contact. John keeps his hand tangled in Seth’s hair as he kisses Seth passionately. He expertly unbuttons Seth’s shirt with one hand. Their mouths separate briefly so that Seth can pull John’s shirt over his head. They quickly get rid of their bottoms and get back in the bed. Seth has a few pillows behind his head and he’s laying comfortably on his back.

“You have no idea how fucking flawless you look right now,” John mentions.

Seth blushes. “I could say the same to you.”

John kisses Seth once more before he focuses on Seth’s neck and chest. Seth’s body is being worshipped in a way that he didn’t know was possible. John takes his time licking and sucking Seth’s sensitive nipples. He begins a trail of kisses down his abs and stops right before he reaches Seth’s cock. John strokes it a few times before he wraps his mouth around the tip. Seth’s body jerks from the almost foreign pleasure.

“Is it supposed to feel this good?” Seth asks himself rhetorically.

Seth hasn’t been on the receiving end of a blowjob since he was in high school. What John is doing is already blowing that experience out of the water. John runs his tongue along his dick slowly and thoroughly. Seth’s eyes are closed and he has a death grip on the sheets. Seth is in so much ecstasy, that he feels dizzy. John swallows the rest of Seth’s cock with ease. Seth feels embarrassed because he’s not going to last much longer.

“John, please stop or I’m going to . . . ”

Seth can’t even get the warning out before he explodes. He cries out John’s name as his whole body gets taken for a ride. John eagerly gulps down every drop of Seth’s sweet release. Seth is sweating and trying to catch his breath. Eventually, he finds the energy to kiss John sweetly. He wants to thank John for bringing him so much bliss. John reaches for the lube on the bedside table and he notices Seth tense a little.

“Take a deep breath and relax. I’m not going to hurt you,” John soothes.

John rubs the sticky substance into his hands to warm it up for Seth. He looks into his lover’s dark eyes and John sees love and trust shining in his gaze. John takes one of his slick fingers and slowly slips it inside. Seth hums in pleasure when John adds another finger a short time later. He makes sure that Seth is stretched and feeling absolutely no pain. Seth is completely relaxed and ready for more.

“I want you,” Seth whispers desperately.

John adds some lube to his dick and he starts a methodical pace. Seth has to take a moment to adjusts to John’s size. John is a patient as a saint and Seth loves him for it. Seth gives him the go ahead, so John makes a gentle thrust. They moan simultaneously. Seth wraps his arms around John’s neck and his legs around his lower back securely; John has never been more excited about being trapped. Their bodies are so closely entangled that it feels like they are one body and soul. Seth cries out when John finds his prostate.

“Holy shit!” Seth exclaims.

John keeps his movements careful and meticulous. He wants Seth’s pleasure to last for a while, so grinds slowly instead of pounding away mindlessly. The tip of his cock is now brushing that special spot inside Seth and it’s driving him crazy. Every time that John moves, Seth can feel his love and it’s the best feeling in the world. John has never experienced a deep connection like he is currently with Seth. Seth’s body feels incredible and John never wants to stop pleasing it. He quickens his pace just a little and Seth’s eyes are rolling in the back of his head. Seth always thought that making love was a stupid expression, but he realizes that _this_ indescribable, immeasurable elation that he’s feeling is what making love truly is.

“I love you so much,” Seth proclaims.

“I love you more,” John responds.

Seth has never taken drugs, but he imagines that what he’s experiencing is better than any high. John changes his position, so that he’s hitting Seth’s prostate directly. Seth starts letting out incoherent noises because he can no longer form words. Seth’s orgasm is so strong and powerful that it almost catches him by surprise. Seth is completely satisfied in his mind, body, and soul. He wants John to experience the same joy.

“I want to see you cum,” Seth softly says.

Seeing the look of contentment on Seth’s face and hearing his words, is enough to trigger John’s orgasm. John loses his sight for a few seconds after he has the most satisfying orgasm of his life. He rolls over after he catches his breath. Seth follows him and immediately snuggles into John’s arms. John places a chaste kiss on Seth’s forehead and nose before he moves down to his lips. Seth opens his mouth and zealously accepts John’s tongue. They kiss until their mouths get tired.

“You’re feeling ok?” John checks.

Seth grins. “Never better. My life is utterly perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that it ended on such a cheesy note, but I thought that it was fitting.
> 
> Up next is the truly final chapter; the epilogue!


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This epilogue takes place 1 year later.
> 
> This fic is special to me for various reasons and I was happy to share it with you all.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wrestlers, they all belong to WWE. If I owned John or Seth, I'd never leave my apartment.

“I'm going to throw up. I can't do this!” Seth panics.

Punk hands him a bottle of water. “Drink this and calm down. I promise that everything will be ok.”

“I didn't even make it to my first wedding a year ago. I don't think that I'm ready for this, Punk,” Seth admits.

“Please, don't bring up Dean right now. You're just nervous, Seth. John is so in love with you and you know that he would never hurt you in any way. Your love for him is just as strong. What's the problem?” Punk asks.

Seth sighs and take a sip of water. “I don't know.”

“Look, if you really don't want to marry John, I'll go tell him right now,” Punk offers.

“Don't do that. Just give me a few minutes to calm myself down,” Seth tells him.

“Ok,” Punk agrees.

“Do you think it's too soon for me to marry John? You know, after everything that's happened this past year?” Seth asks.

“I don't think it's ever too soon to marry your soulmate, Seth,” Punk responds.

“You're right. I just want to make sure that this is the right thing. I want our marriage to be strong and just . . . amazing,” Seth replies.

“It will be if you're both committed and work at it. I know you look at me and Jeff like we're the perfect couple, but we have our issues just like everyone else. I think that you and John will be fine. You have a great foundation for a healthy and successful marriage,” Punk tells him.

Seth smiles. “You always know what to say.”

“Of course, that's why I'm your best man,” Punk says.

“All right, I'm ready now,” Seth states.

* * *

“Do you think that Seth is having doubts?” John asks.

“He's human, so I'm sure he's having a few,” Cody lets him know.

“I just don't want him to feel that he's obligated to marry me,” John voices his concern.

“Seth said yes to your proposal because he's absolutely in love with you and because he wants to spend his life with you. You didn't pressure him or prey on his weakness and try to manipulate him into marriage like his ex did. You've done nothing but bring him happiness. He _wants_ to marry you, he doesn't want to do it because he was forced or because he feels that he's obligated to,” Cody assures him.

“It feels like just yesterday he was engaged to Dean. Maybe it's too soon after―”

Cody cuts him off. “You're both deeply in love with each other, you have enough money for the wedding and honeymoon, and both of your schedules are free. You picked the perfect time, John. Stop worrying so much.”

“I have to consider Seth's feelings and emotions because he won't. He's way too selfless,” John explains.

“Do you want me to go ask Seth if he wants to change his mind?” Cody volunteers.

“No, but I would like to see him,” John requests.

“John, you know that's bad luck!” Cody exclaims.

“I don't care,” John says.

* * *

“Seth, can we talk?” John asks.

Seth nods. “Can you give us a minute, Punk?”

“Sure,” Punk says as he leaves the room.

“How cold are your feet?” John wants to know.

“Honestly, I was freaking out earlier. I’m fine now,” Seth admits.

“Good. I just had to be sure that you still wanted this,” John explains.

Seth wraps his arms around John’s neck. “There’s not a _single_ day that goes by when I don’t want you, John.”

“I hope there are lines like that in your vows,” John states with a dimpled smile.

“Definitely,” Seth assures him.

“I’ll see you out there,” John remarks.

“I’ll be the one wearing white,” Seth retorts.

* * *

John and Seth’s wedding ceremony is beautiful. Everything from the decorations to the music is perfect. Seth gets so choked up while trying to read his custom written vows that the preacher has to help him say them. John is more composed, yet very passionate and earnest as he reads his. They share their first kiss as a married couple and all of their friends and family are happy for them.

John, Seth, and the rest of the wedding party take a few pictures outside of the church while the rest of their guests head to the venue for the reception. John and Seth don’t bother changing their clothes before they get to the reception. The music stops and everyone gives John and Seth a standing ovation when they enter the ballroom. They greet everyone before they take their spots at the table on the stage.

“Dinner will be served and then we will let a few people toast the newlyweds,” Cody announces.

* * *

Natalya stands up with help from Beth. “As you can all see, I am _very_ pregnant. I have John and Seth to thank for this miracle growing inside of me. Seth has been a great friend and he encouraged me to pursue the love of my life.  After I stopped fighting my feelings, I realized that she was the one for me. I realized that I wanted to start a family with Beth. So, I decided that I would get pregnant through artificial insemination. John is a total sweetheart and I think the way the loves and cares for Seth is admirable. John and Seth have taught me what true love really is. I love you both dearly and I hope that you have a happy and long-lasting marriage.”

“We love you both very much! We can’t wait to see your little boy. I pray that he’ll be healthy and strong,” Seth states.

“Thanks! He should be here any day now!” Nattie exclaims.

Carol steps up to the microphone. “I haven’t known Seth for very long, but I know that he’s an amazing man. I thought that my son was broken after his partner died tragically a few years ago. I wasn’t sure that I would ever truly see him smile again. Imagine my surprise when he told me that he met a young man that he was head over heels in love with. I’ve liked Seth ever since that moment. Any man that can make my son this blissful has to be extraordinary. You were made for each other and I’m so glad that you found each other. Welcome to the Cena family, Seth.”

“That was a beautiful toast, Mrs. Cena. I am honored to be a part of your family,” Seth replies.

“We’re family now. Call me Carol,” She tells him.

* * *

Seth still isn’t a big fan of dancing, but he enjoys doing anything with John. John laughs at Seth’s lack of dancing ability and Seth playfully hits him. The smile is quickly wiped off of John’s face when he looks toward the entrance of the ballroom. Of all the people to show up, John _never_ expected Dean to be one of them. John steps in front of Seth in a protective stance. When Dean steps too close, John punches him right in the nose.

“Johnny!” Seth gasps.

“What? That fucker deserved that!” John defends his actions.

Seth doesn’t reply. He walks around John and bends down to help Dean up. Dean’s nose is bleeding pretty badly. Seth takes Dean by the bar area so that he can give him a towel for his bloody nose. Dean thanks him as he sits down on a stool next to Seth. Seth orders a shot of whiskey and takes a deep breath before turning toward Dean.

“What the fuck were you thinking by coming here?” Seth demands.

“I heard rumors that you were getting married. I had to see if it was true,” Dean tells him.

“You’re lucky that I have a heart. I could’ve let John beat you to death,” Seth informs him.

“He has a temper. I could see the pure rage in his eyes. You should be careful with him,” Dean warns.

Seth slaps Dean hard. “How fucking dare you! You are so fucking out of line that it’s insulting. John is absolutely _nothing_ like you! He would never put his hands on me. I’m willing to bet my life on that fact. Get the fuck out of here, Dean! If you don’t go willingly, John will drag you out after he’s through kicking your ass.”

Dean doesn’t look satisfied, but he leaves without saying another word. Seth orders another shot of whiskey to help calm his nerves. He feels John wrap his arms around his waist securely. John asks Seth if he’s ok and Seth weakly says yes. John doesn’t pry and ask Seth what happened between him and Dean. Seth turns around so that he’s facing John. He places a sweet kiss onto John’s lips.

“Thank you,” Seth softly declares.

“What are you thanking me for?” John wants to know.

“For everything. But mainly for loving me and rescuing me from that jackass,” Seth clarifies.

“You have Randy to thank for me not coming over here and killing him,” John comments.

“I’ll have to do something nice since he stopped you from going to jail for 25 to life,” Seth half-jokes.

* * *

The night is ending and Seth and John are saying goodbye and expressing their gratitude to all of their guests. There’s a crew that works for the hotel that is cleaning up the ballroom. Seth contemplates helping them until he hears a shrill cry toward the back of the room. He recognizes that it’s Nattie’s voice, so he and John run over to her as fast as they can. Seth sees that Natalya is resting in Beth’s arms and that there’s a puddle on the floor.

“My water just broke!” Nattie screams.

“We have to get you to the hospital. I’ll go get my car and bring it around for you,” John tells her.

“Hurry up!” Natalya rushes.

John helps Seth and Beth get Natalya into the car. John barely makes sure that everyone has their seatbelts on before he speeds out of the parking lot. Luckily, they’re not far from a hospital. John gets a wheelchair from inside the hospital and Beth wheels it in. Natalya has a death grip on Beth’s hand. It kills John and Seth to see their friend in so much pain.

“You guys are coming with us, right?” Natalya checks.

“Uh . . . we hadn’t planned on being in the delivery room,” Seth admits.

“I’m naming my son after you guys! You’re coming into the damn delivery room!” Natalya orders.

* * *

5 Hours Later

* * *

“He’s so tiny! He’s absolutely beautiful, too,” Natalya observes as she holds her son.

“He has your eyes,” Beth adds.

“Can I hold little John Seth Neidhart?” John asks.

“Of course,” Nattie says.

“I’m your Uncle Johnny. I want you to know that I adore you already. This is your other uncle, Seth. He loves you too,” John says as he passes the baby to Seth.

“I’ve never held a newborn before. He’s so precious,” Seth describes before placing little John Seth into Nattie’s arms.

“Seth and I are going to head home. We’re tired, so we know that both of you are as well. We’ll come back later to check on all of you,” John promises.

“Get some rest. We’ll be here when you guys come back,” Beth remarks.

* * *

“We got married today and Nattie and Beth’s son was born today. What a great day,” Seth reflects as he lays beside John in their bed.

John smiles. “This is hands down the best day of my life.”

“Mine too,” Seth agrees.

“I can’t wait to fly to the Philippines tomorrow. Their white sand beaches are really beautiful. You’ll love our honeymoon,” John assures him.

“I’m excited. I’ve always wanted to have sex on a beach,” Seth reveals.

John kisses Seth. “There are _a lot_ of beaches there. I promise to fuck you on all of them.”

“You’re a man of your word, so I’m going to hold you to that,” Seth replies with a smirk.

“I really fucking love you. I hope you realize that,” John mentions.

“I feel the exact same way about you, John,” Seth counters. 

“We promised forever to each other. I hope you don’t leave me after realizing that you’re far too perfect for me,” John says in an earnest tone.

“You’ve got it all wrong. _I’m_ the lucky one because I’m married to _you._ I can’t predict the future, but I can’t see myself ever leaving you,” Seth admits.

“Good. Because I’m not going anywhere either. You’re stuck with me now,” John jokes.

Seth closes the short distance between him and John and he brings their lips together. John grabs Seth by his hair as he deepens the kiss. Seth closes his eyes in ecstasy. Their tongues move together slowly and sensually. Seth still melts whenever John touches him. John has a deeply satisfied look on his face when Seth ends the kiss. John gently holds Seth’s face in his large hands.

“My heart still skips a beat when we kiss. I’ll never get tired of the way that you make me feel,” John whispers.

Seth nods. “My whole body tingles whenever you touch me, Johnny. I can always tell when _you_ touch me. The hair on the back of my neck raises and I just feel warm when we touch. I’m so grateful that I get to feel so happy and loved for the rest of my life.”

Seth moves closer to John; he rests his head on John’s broad chest. John is looking down at him with a tender expression. All the words in the world can’t describe how absolutely content that Seth feels in this moment. He’s with the man that he loves most in the world and there’s no place that he’d rather be. John feels like the luckiest man in the world because he gets to go to sleep and wake up with Seth by his side. Seth and John aren’t much for prayer, but they both thank God that they found each other. Seth is beyond thankful that he got his hero that he was holding out for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that the ending is extremely corny, but I just can’t reign in the fluff with these two!
> 
> I totally stole the “I’ll be the one wearing white,” line from Breaking Dawn because I really love that line.
> 
> I thoroughly enjoyed writing this fic and I am grateful for everyone who followed me on this journey!


End file.
